Disclaimer: Most of the characters and all of the locations, technologies, concepts, etc that appear in this story are property of Bioware/EA
This is War
"Set up mortars along this ridge! We'll give 'em one hell'uva surprise!"
Wreav shouted as several Krogan rushed past him, carrying large military-grade launchers and setting them onto the sandy ground. The dry desert air combined with the harsh Tuchanka sun made the environment nearly stifling as Liara hopped out of the tomkah alongside Captain Wiks. The Shadow Broker looked onto the ruins below them. A large structure rose up from the stone remnants, colored a dark blue and bearing a resemblance to what Kasumi had reportedly encountered during the last operation. Wrex huffed a loud breath as he came up next to his brother.
"Don't overdo it! We don't wanna piss her off before we're ready ta' take the Shroud."
Wrex ignored the glare he received before turning to the mortar squads.
"Only use enough to take that thing down. It'll at least buy us a little bit o' time before Reaper reinforcements show up. Besides, Shepard would be disappointed if we didn't leave any for her."
The clan-chief grinned. Wreav scowled at his brother as he grunted noisily.
"We can't just sit and wait for this Human bitch! We need to act now- urgh!"
A loud crack silenced him. His forehead plate ached from the blow he sustained while Wrex shot his own sharp look at Wreav.
"She'll be here. So why don't you make yourself useful fer once and help with the mortars."
Another hard glare was sent in Wrex's direction before Wreav moved to join the Krogan preparing several mortar canons. Captain Wiks frowned at the sight of the Shroud, standing tall beside the comparatively shorter Reaper Destroyer.
"… Over one thousand years of suffering… because of us."
Liara looked over to Padok. It was obvious to see the pain on his thin face. There was no doubt that he deeply regretted his race's use of the genophage virus. An understandable regret, even if he wasn't there during its deployment. The Shadow Broker smiled at the STG captain.
"After this is over, things will have a chance to get better for the Krogan."
Wiks looked down to the sandy ground beneath his boots, watching the particles of dust and dirt shift with the gentle breeze.
"We can only hope."
A quiet beep from Liara's omni-tool stole her attention. Lifting a hand up, the shimmering, glowing device materialized as she, Wrex and Wiks heard EDI's voice.
'There is an unidentified heat signature approaching the convoy from the west. Scans indicate… troubling lifesigns. Caution is advised.'
The three of them immediately turned around to the cliff face behind where the tomkah's were parked. Atop the immense rock formation, nearly shrouded in light, was a figure. Their form was barely discernible as a Krogan. Wrex squinted his eyes in an attempt to peer through the harsh glare of the sun. The sight his eyes found was something that only filled him with dread.
"…Grenn…?"
The Krogan at the top of the cliff before them extended an arm backward; grabbing what appeared to be a cudgel from its back, as large as a Krogan torso. With a swift swinging motion, the hammer was brought down, resounding loudly into the air with a massive crash of steel upon stone that could even be heard from the convoy's position. Liara slightly jumped at the unexpected sound echoing throughout the valley as Wiks looked down again at the dirt. The wind had stopped, the dirt had settled, and the air was uncannily still.
Wrex turned to the rest of the group, an expression of pure horror on his wide face.
"Back in the trucks! NOW-!"
Before anyone could even follow the order, the ground beneath them shook with intense force. Suddenly, an enormous beast burst out from the earth, dwarfing the large vehicles they had ridden to get here and rising high into the sky above and launching rock and dirt into the air.
"Shit! We've got a maw!"
Wreav yelled. Liara could only stare in awe at the gigantic thresher maw. She had only seen several of the massive beasts during those times she'd been brought along to an operation on an uncharted world during her stay aboard the original Normandy. But none of her memories of them could even compare to the mechanized thing before them. The beast's tough skin, which was normally of a tan coloring was a pale gray, cracked and splitting in many areas. The underside of it facing them was torn open, revealing horrible, twisted metal and decayed viscera that slopped off of its giant form with each movement. Its two arm-like pincers twitched as it rose up to its full height to stare down at the convoy. The creature's large face was an amalgam of metal pieces and glowing red eyes. Its signature mouth was filled with mangled steel and fleshy tendrils.
The Reapers had even enslaved several of these already frightening monstrosities? The towering creature stared down at her, almost specifically at her. The thought put a terrified shiver through her spine. Silence permeated the air for several moments before the beast opened its mouth further to release an overwhelmingly loud roar, tapering off into an ear shattering screech that would scar even the stoutest of minds.
"Explain."
Ankara said as she continued to point the M-5 Predator pistol at Commander Shepard. Jane glared at the High-Sergeant through the bright light the pistol emitted, and failed to hide the spite in her voice.
"Short version: An order came, and I followed it."
The cabal warrior narrowed her eyes at Jane.
"And the long version…?"
Shepard could only laugh bitterly as she stared down at the pistol before lifting her gaze back up to piercing green eyes.
"You really think we have the time for this? How's about you get to the point."
The accompanying silence was broken by another strong rumble of the earth around them. Ankara took a brief look at the stone room.
"… You may be right. Your circumstances are interesting… but ultimately not my concern."
"I honestly don't see how any of this is a concern when we have a real problem to deal with right now."
"You're the one making this take so long, if you insist on continuing with your unnecessary interruptions."
The red-head briefly wondered if her face would simply fall off at how hard she was scowling at Kassaran.
"Now, during your… 'stay' at the colony, the planet came under attack. By who?"
Jane shifted her weight from one foot to the next, an un-amused expression tinting her features.
"Batarian mercs and warlords."
"In an assault that would come to be known as…?"
A dark red brow rose up in curiosity.
"… The Skyllian Blitz."
"Behind the rocks! Get the mortars outta here! Keep the female safe at all costs!"
Wrex howled as he unhooked the Claymore heavy shotgun from his back, firing a round up at the Reaper-modified thresher maw. The shot did nothing to stop the beast from rearing backwards and thrusting its large body downward, slamming into a nearby tomkah as its claws tore into its hull and tore the vehicle in two. The Krogan littering the field ran about, finding cover behind tomkahs and the scattered pieces of rough stone while hauling as many launchers with them as they could.
Liara ducked down beside a nearby boulder, unhooking the pistol from her side. Wrex fired a carnage round at the enormous animal as it attempted to dislodge its appendage from the flaming tomkah before joining Liara in cover.
"Rrgh! That's not her. We got lucky."
The Asari turned toward her former squadmate, a riled look in her eyes.
"This is us getting lucky!? Who was that Krogan, did they summon this… thing!?"
Wrex frowned as he glanced up at the cliff face. The figure was gone without a trace.
"I'll tell yah about it after we deal with this pest! All fire squads focus on the mouth! Keep its trap shut and keep the tomkah's in place! It'll target any movement on the field!"
"You are familiar with the aftermath of the event, yes? Media reports showcasing your 'heroic' actions and the like?"
The Commander's silent stare was enough of an indication. Ankara smirked slightly.
"Then… are you aware of the Hierarchy's response to the incident?"
Shepard's brow furrowed at the question.
"I know they didn't exactly enjoy it. From what I heard, they officially ousted the Hegemony as a rogue nation and declared any Batarian ship within Council space an immediate hostile threat. Beyond that… not much else."
A soft breath of air left the High-Sergeant as the cocky smirk spread wider on her face, yet to Jane, it didn't seem to be an expression of amusement.
"Yes, you are correct. However… there is one detail that has seemed to elude the conversation."
Her grip on the pistol tightened as she shifted her gaze up to the illuminated wall behind the Commander. What she saw only fanned the flames within her.
"There were, reportedly, twenty-seven individual units of Turian soldiers, diplomats, recorders and journalists deployed to Elysium during that year, under a banner of peace and to aid with the Assembly. An act of 'good will' to the Alliance to show that the Turian race harbored no hatred to your kind after the three-fourteen incident. But…"
Ankara squinted her eyes as her other hand came up to scratch at the back of her head.
"If I recall…only twenty-six made it back to the Apien Crest after the Blitz."
Shepard…
Jane grimaced. Trying to will the whispers away.
"Twenty-six… The Alliance sent their deepest condolences for those who had 'given their lives' for the colony."
Kassaran's words twisted into a sound that could only be described as pure spite while her eyes burned green against the dark.
"And while the battle was, indeed, a success…"
Shepard…
The Commander's eyes widened as she felt a shiver run up her spine.
"I… had to stand over three graves…"
Padok ducked down behind a nearby boulder as more debris flew overhead. The thresher maw writhed about under the hailing gunfire, sending dirt and stone into the air and toppling three tomkahs. Wiks knelt down onto the sand beneath him, aiming his Raptor rifle upwards. Closing one eye and slowing his breathing, the Salarian Captain squeezed the trigger and sent several rounds into an angrily glowing eye thrashing above. The beast reared backward, shrieking in pain. Wiks smirked briefly before his expression quickly gave way to fright as the enormous creature turned its rage-filled gaze on the Salarian.
Wiks immediately turned and ran as fast as his thin legs could carry him as the maw barreled straight through the stone cover. Rushing to the foot of the cliff, the Salarian dove off to the side, very narrowly avoiding the thousands of tons of thresher maw charging directly into the side of the cliff. Scrambling to his feet, the STG operative scurried to a nearby rock formation.
The gigantic maw separated itself from the side of the cliff with an angry screech before releasing another loud howl of pain as a powerful carnage round struck its side. The flames only intensified as a warp blast connected with the searing flesh, exploding into a ball of bright orange among the hail of gunfire.
"The mouth! Focus on the mouth!"
Wrex yelled as he fired his shotgun at the beast. The thresher maw rose up high into the air, looking down onto the nearby tomkah as it was firing the mounted canons atop its metal form into the beast. With another high-pitched growl, the creature reared back and opened its large jaws. Completely ignoring the countless slugs firing into its face, the maw thrust forward, releasing a large amount of highly corrosive acid at the vehicle. Within just a few seconds, the tomkah's canons stopped firing as the metal material was eaten away and simply slid off of the vehicle in a melted, bubbling soup of rusted steel. The thresher maw shifted backwards again and brought its head down, slamming into the tomkah as its blades easily carved into the rust-colored steel.
Liara looked on in horror as the vehicle was torn apart with an outward movement of its claws, sending one half of the tomkah in one direction while the other careened into another vehicle with enough force to topple it onto its side. They needed to drive this monster away, before it targeted the tomkah in which Eve and Mordin were present.
Shepard stared in shock at the Turian. Was that what all this was about? Was that the reason… was she the reason Kassaran…
The Turian herself took a small moment, blinking rapidly, trying to recompose herself. A soft sight escaped her throat as another hard glare set into her eyes
"The name of the detachment. What was it?"
"Ankar-"
"I asked you a question!"
Another low rumble shook the stone room. Jane swallowed the lump in her throat, clenching her jaw as she saw… no… felt the shadows around her writhe and twist.
"The… the five-oh-eighth regime."
Ankara's resentful sneer turned into a malicious glare as she gripped her Predator tighter.
"They were to be the guard force for the majority of the trials within the colony. I would imagine they would have overseen yours as well."
Shepard…
Jane's pained scowl deepened as the dull ache in her head that had been present ever since delving into the ruins suddenly worsened into a throbbing sting.
"… What happened to them?"
The Commander's brow rose again at the question.
"What…?"
"The Alliance claimed that they gave their lives to defend the colony. The Hierarchy accepted the explanation well enough. But I don't think either side knows the whole story…"
The High-Sergeant said as her eyes flicked up again to the mural before they came back down to glare into squinting emerald.
"… And I get the feeling you do. So I will ask again."
Jane felt the hairs on her neck stand on-end, and she had to suppress the urge to bring a hand up to make sure nothing was there.
"What happened?"
The scent of burning metal and melted rock filled the air as Liara ducked down behind a boulder. The tomkahs parked on the ridge fired up into the writhing monstrosity, earning another loud screech as the beast spat more acid down onto the battle field.
"Wrex! This isn't working!"
Liara shouted as she launched another warp field into the thresher maw before firing her pistol again. Many Krogan on the ridge ran to and fro, firing their own weapons up into the creature while trying to avoid the growing pools of steaming green acid. The Shadow Broker did the best she could in trying to ignore those who… weren't so lucky in avoiding the corrosive blasts.
'Rgh! Gimmie a sec! Wreav! Where the hell are you!?'
She looked across the rocky plane to see Wrex speak to his brother before another monstrous roar stole her attention. She looked back up just in time to see the thresher maw lean backward, raising an enormous claw into the air and bringing it down at a frightening speed. Panicking for a moment, Liara sprinted out from her cover, dodging the razor-sharp blade as it easily sliced the large rock in two.
As she ran for her life, she couldn't help but feel the backs of her eyes prickle with tears. Where was Shepard? Where was her Jane?
"They fought valiantly… every member of that platoon is a hero-"
"Oh, don't give me that. I didn't buy it from the news reports; I'm certainly not going to buy it here. You were there. What happened?"
Jane lowered her gaze to the ground. She had held this inside for ten years. She hadn't told a single soul what she did. The only one who knew, the only person she trusted so wholly and completely, was Liara. And even then, they had never talked about it. Because Liara saw it. She saw it while exploring the depths of Jane's mind. She saw, and she felt, and she understood. Understood the pain, understood the regret, understood why Jane pushed herself so hard to the point of breaking.
Understood why the destruction of Bahak had brought the Commander to her knees.
And now, this Turian was looking for retribution for her sin. She knew lying would only make matters worse. That, and Jane had never been a very good liar in the first place. Shepard lifted her eyes back up to peer at Ankara.
"… It was my fault."
She held her gaze steady. It was time she fessed up. She willed the encroaching shadows away. She wouldn't allow the whispers to torture her further. She felt them, but she held them off for as long as she could.
"I killed them."
Cat-like green irises widened for a fraction of a second before narrowing further.
"… Explain."
Jane took a moment to recall the memories that perpetuated her unrelenting nightmares. Smells of smoke, burning corpses, toppled buildings.
"Elysium was primarily a civilian planet, set up by the Alliance to welcome all species. The detachments deployed there were the largest the planet had ever seen. There was no need for anything more than a local militia and structural defenses. The Alliance kept a hands-off policy, and allowed Elysium to rule itself. A true 'paradise' planet and the perfect neutral ground for a Joint Assembly to take place… They weren't ready for a full-on assault."
She remembered the faces. Terrified civilians fleeing. Soldiers lying dead on the ground.
"When the attack began, I managed to escape from my cell. I met up with the five-oh-eighth during the initial assault, but things were already falling apart."
Screams of pure horror and agony filled her ears. The disgusting stench of disintegrated remains.
"There wasn't enough time to set up proper defenses… Batarians were everywhere in minutes."
Shepard…
Emerald eyes snapped shut. The faces surrounded her.
"I…"
She felt them. Taunting her.
Shepard…
Mocking her.
Your fault…
Threatening her.
Killed us…
They came in waves now. Faces that weren't Human. Faces of Turians. Each and every one unique. Burned into her memory forever. Forever following her. Corrupting her dreams.
"…I…"
Her knees felt weak. She felt like she would fall. Her breath felt shallow. Her teeth clenched and her grip on the weapon in her hands tightened.
"…You what…?"
Jane's eyes opened, and what she found hidden behind glowing green gave her an epiphany. Ankara's eyes held hatred. Loathing. Resentment. But behind them -behind the anger- was grief. Pain. Desperation. Sadness. Emotion poured forth from her eyes, and Jane had a sudden and inexplicable hyper-awareness of the situation. The way her hand shook as she held the Predator. Her stance was shaky, as if it took a great effort to keep from collapsing. The wetness at the edges of her feline eyes.
This Turian… This woman had lost everything. Jane could see it, just from her eyes. She was looking for someone to blame -someone to hate- to hide her pain.
The act of disobeying a commanding officer was punishable by death in Turian society, for both the perpetrator and the one who promoted them. In this action, Ankara may as well have committed suicide by Turian standards. Kassaran was risking all that she was for this.
"Who were they?"
Pale brow plates rose up at the question. Jane stood strong against the shadows.
"The three graves. Who do they belong to?"
The High-Sergeant's eyes flicked upward again as a sharp inhale was heard. Her eyelids slid closed for a moment. Only silence was present.
"… Ank-"
"Tibetius."
Sharp, green eyes revealed themselves in the sea of darkness, behind her shining pistol.
"Aurous."
Jane held her ground as the Turian stepped forward.
"Myrall."
She stopped just a few feet from Shepard. The intense light streaming from the pistol she held was enough to make Jane wince.
"My husband. My son. My daughter."
Dark red brows furrowed in slight confusion.
"I… didn't see any kids-"
Kassaran shook her head before Shepard could continue.
"They weren't children. They were trained. Fit. Ready. They would take the Oath and swear by their lives to serve the Hierarchy. Something that would make any Turian mother proud."
She blinked several times in an attempt to keep herself composed. If she fell apart now…
"'Tius-… Tibetius wanted to bring them to Elysium. He wanted to show them. Show them that we-"
She gestured with a three-digit hand.
"-didn't have to be enemies. That after incident three-fourteen, Humans could be trusted."
A small, humorless chuckle left the Turian's throat that seemed to bounce off of the stone walls around them.
"He was a fool. A well-meaning optimist. He simply wanted what was best for everyone around him. Always put others before himself. Wanted the next generation to grow under a meme of peace. With the knowledge that anyone could be a friend and ally."
Jane looked in sympathy to the High-Sergeant. Pain was evident on her face. Her posture slackened. She was barely holding herself together.
"He was a fool… and I loved him."
A sharp glare set itself into swirling black and green.
"And now he's gone. So… tell me… war hero…"
She said with venom dripping from her words.
"… How did my husband die? How did my family die?"
Wrex ducked down behind the rust-red metal of a tomkah as it fired its own cannon. The grip on his Claymore heavy shotgun tightened as a breath passed through sharp, clenched teeth. He could hear the screams surrounding him. His people in pain. At the hands of this thing. The Reapers. And that Krogan…
A loud, metallic titter hit his awareness and Wrex looked up to see the gigantic maw staring down onto his cover. He had only a moment before the beast gave another monstrous roar, spewing broken metal and corrupted blood from its mouth as it lifted itself higher into the sky. With a startling speed, the creature brought its head down, smashing into the tomkah and turning it into a chaotic mess of metal as the Krogan leader ran out into the open.
"C'mon, you piece of shit! I've had breakfasts bigger than you!"
"Wrex! What are you doing!?"
Liara shouted from her own cover behind a truck. Wrex began stepping forward toward the Reaper-thrall, firing his weapon with abandon.
"You think you can come here!? To our home!? And take everything from us!?"
Another loud discharge filled the air as super-heated slugs found themselves imbedded into the beast's face.
"We won't back down! Not now! Not ever!"
A carnage round burst into flames on the maw's face. Wrex continued his advance, keeping the corrupted creature's attention.
"And even if we fall, you! Will! Not! Break!Us!"
Each exclamation was punctuated by another shotgun blast into the beast's face.
"'Cause this is our planet! You're on our turf! You think you can scare us!? We've had centuries to forget what fear felt like!"
Wrex stood against the towering giant of a creature, craning his head upward to face the beast with defiant eyes.
"SO YOU'D BETTER COME HERE LOOKIN' FOR A FIGHT!"
Without warning, devastating explosions erupted on the thresher maw's sides. Out of its field of vision, lines of Krogan with steel mortar launchers fired into the beast. The maw released a pained roar as gray smoke enveloped its body before even more explosions tore at its flesh. Wrex looked off to his left, seeing his brother manning a mortar alongside his kinsman. Wrex raised his fist into the air, signaling the Krogan around him to stop their assault.
The massive, corrupted maw gave a weakened (yet still ear-grating) screech as it burrowed back down underneath the earth. The Krogan on the battlefield howled and yelled in triumph, believing to have been rid of the monstrosity. The clan leader, however, was uncharacteristically still as he held his gaze at the ground, eyes narrowed. He heard light steps coming up behind him, yet they were not the center of his focus.
"Wrex! Are you alright?"
The Krogan gave an unintelligible grunt as he began walking past Liara to his right, gaze running along the ground.
"Wrex…?"
He immediately snapped his head forward, looking past the parked tomkahs to the ridge wall before giving a low growl.
"…We're not done yet."
The cracking of stone and rock caught Liara's attention. She looked to the face of the cliff, seeing the brown stone splinter, and then shatter completely in a violent burst of dust and sand. The force sent two more tomkahs over the edge of the ridge. The familiar metallic roar and shriek filled the valley as the beast turned toward the rest of the convoy. Its skin was even more scarred and cracked from the mortar strike, with pieces simply falling off of its form.
"Damn it! Persistent son-of-a-bitch! Ready another volley!"
Wreav shouted as he and several more Krogan began turning their mortars in the maw's direction where it had come out of the cliff face. Liara grit her teeth at the creature before she saw something peculiar. The steel shoved into its mouth began... glowing. The Shadow Broker's features took on an exasperated look.
"Goddess…"
It would seem the metal in its enormous maw wasn't simply for show. That much was obvious as red beam spewed forth, making the same horrid sound as a Reaper's energy discharge as it scorched whatever was in its path.
Crimson locks shadowed her eyes as she looked down to the dusty stone beneath her boots. She remembered their faces. Each and every one of them.
"…I killed them."
Jane repeated. Emerald eyes snapped back up to meet with glowing green.
"Batarians were closing on our position. There was no time to think, or plan. So I made a decision. One that's followed me ever since."
She took a step forward.
"I chose. I left the five-oh-eighth. I left them to die. I sacrificed them so that I could get the orbital canons online to push the enemy ships back long enough for reinforcements to arrive. If I had stayed, maybe a few of them would've made it, at the risk of Elysium's destruction. A risk that I wasn't willing to take."
Ankara had to take a step back at the intensity within the Commander's eyes.
"I saved the colony… and I've hated myself ever since."
"Should flee, must keep you safe."
Eve turned to grab the Salarian's arm as he tried getting up from his seat.
"No. I will not run away while my people die."
Mordin whipped his head around back to his patient.
"Situation unreasonably dangerous! Can use time bought by other Krogan to escape to Shroud, contact Artimec, proceed with plan-"
Another muted explosion was heard from outside the walls of the tomkah. A low growl resounded off of the steel walls around them as Eve tightened her grip on Mordin's wrist.
"My people are not pawns to be sacrificed. I will stay and I will be what the Krogan need me to be!"
"At what cost!?"
The Salarian shouted as he glowered down at Eve, pulling his arm out of her grasp.
"This pain. This suffering. Because of us. Because of me! Refuse to risk future of Krogan! Not now! My responsibi-!"
"It is mine as well!"
Eve stood from her seat, matching Mordin's gaze with her own.
"Your guilt may drive you, but this is my race's fate. I will see this through with my people, whatever path it takes. I will not flee!"
Their altercation could go no further before the tomkah rocked back and forth as a loud, muted roar boomed outside.
Liara ducked down to avoid the rock and debris thrown about by the thrashing beast as it reared its head upwards into the air. The twisted metal in its mouth glowed for a moment before another bright red beam shot down onto the battlefield, instantly turning several Krogan into nothing but blackened dust.
A carnage round soared past the Asari to cover a portion of the maw's face in bright red flames, stopping its attack briefly before screeching in anger. Liara took the opportunity to launch her own warp blast at the corrupted creature, watching as the ensuing explosion engulfed the thresher maw, but did little to deter its advance.
The massive beast moved along the ridge, ignoring the near constant rain of mortar strikes upon its hide before locking its eyes upon one specific vehicle.
"Damn it! Just get the female outta here! Go! Now!"
Wrex yelled over the gunfire, letting loose several shots from his claymore in an attempt to gain the maw's attention. The tomkah's wheels screeched and marked the dirt beneath their thick rubber. Yet, just as it began moving, the large vehicle could go nowhere as a large globule of acid coated its back wheels, almost instantly melting the metal and rubber and solidifying it to the ground.
"Fuck! Hey! Over here! I'm not done with you yet!"
The Krogan clan chief roared as he fired another carnage round into the beast's hide, but to no avail. The thresher maw continued its advance and stood staggeringly tall over the tomkah that Mordin and Eve resided inside.
Liara looked at the enormous beast's head, eyes widening at the now glowing metallic fragments within its mouth. Without hesitation, the Shadow Broker ran out onto the battlefield.
"LIARA!"
"I regret what I did, every single day. I see them, every time I close my eyes."
Jane growled as she felt the hand at her side clench into a fist.
"For ten years I've had to live with myself. Live with… being a fucking hypocrite."
A hollow laugh escaped her lips.
"Savior of Elysium… war hero…"
A sharp clack of metal upon stone was heard as the M-11 Wraith dropped to the floor.
"… I willingly sacrificed their lives. Something that's so beyond disgusting to me. Something that I swore I wouldn't do again."
Until Kaiden. Until Bahak. Emerald green rose back up to shining jade.
"Something that will be with me until the day I die…"
Ankara tried holding her gaze steady with Shepard's, but she would find the task more than difficult.
"… but it isn't something that I'm going to let control me."
Wrex stood in awe of the sight before him. The intense beam of energy was held off by a blue biotic layer of dark energy encircling the tomkah. Its source was none-other than the Asari herself.
Liara grit her teeth as she held the barrier. Pain quickly rimmed her skull as she felt every muscle in her body cry out in pure agony. Even just a few seconds under this much stress was nearly enough to force her to the ground. Blinding red was all she could see around her, and she knew that she was the last obstacle standing between this beast and its prey.
She wouldn't let all of their work be for nothing. She would not allow all of Jane's work be for nothing. She didn't even know if Shepard was still alive, but it didn't matter. They had come this far. If it were to end here, Liara would spend everything that she was.
She would not go down silently.
Kassaran shook her head.
"You think this matters? I couldn't give a shit about your guilty conscious! I lost everything because of you!"
She was losing her composure. Her hand quaked as a shiver of sorrow ran up her spine.
"My family, my children, my future! What have you lost besides a few nights of sleep!?
The Turian felt tears stream from her eyes. She gave one last look to the mural behind the Commander, seeing her home. Their home. They had built it together. Called it their own. Made it a place of warmth. A place of happiness. Of hope.
A place that did not exist anymore. Kassaran turned her eyes back down to Shepard, face burning with rage and contempt.
"Why should you live, when they DIED!?"
Jane looked at the High-Sergeant for a moment before looking down in thought.
"… I'm not the one who has the answer to that."
"Then who!? Who the FUCK do you think has the answer to it!? I'd really like to know!"
Several seconds passed in silence before Shepard uttered a single word as her face tightened.
"… You."
She was numb. Liara could no longer feel her arms. It felt as if she had been in this position for hours as her limbs shook from the massive force she held back. Her biotics were straining and she wasn't sure if she could hold out for much longer. But she had to. She had to give the Krogan more time to come up with something to draw the creature's attention.
Adjusting her stance, Liara dug deep and held as much dark energy she could muster to keep the powerful energy blast at bay. She felt light-headed, her barrier becoming unstable under such an intense barrage. She tried reinforcing the blue shield with power from her own personal barrier, but the force of the beam was simply too great.
A clear tear ran down the Shadow Broker's cheek as she heard a clear and distinct crack of her barrier amidst the loud flow of energy around her.
"What…?"
Jane held the hard gaze at Kassaran, unfaltering even for a second.
"I've been wondering that exact same thing. Why am I alive, while they're dead? For the longest time I just couldn't answer it for myself."
Shepard looked down at her empty palms, gloved fingers open.
"Now I realize… It was never a question I could answer. It was yours."
The look in her eyes softened slightly before lifting back up.
"I wronged you. I'm responsible. So pass your judgment on me. But before you do…would your family want you to do this?"
Kassaran took a step back, face aghast and appalled.
"You… you think it matters what they would want? They're gone! It doesn't matter what they want because they're dead!"
"Yes! They're dead. The past is already written, but you're still here. You're their memory. Their epitaph. They don't need gravestones, because you're the living reminder of their existence!"
Jane shouted as another hard quake shook the stone room, her voice bouncing off of the packed, decrepit walls.
"Would you want the lives they've lived all leading up to a glorified murder?"
The barrier shattered with the force of the blast and Liara was sent to the ground as the powerful beam dissipated into the air. Her body felt broken, her mind bruised and battered. She could hardly breathe, as if her lungs had barely any strength left in them.
Above the Asari, the thresher maw rose up to look down at the battlefield. Liara shakily rolled onto her side in an attempt to lift herself despite every tissue within her body begging her to rest. Her vision blurred as she looked back up to the horrible creature.
"It would be justice! To bring consequence to the person so far beyond the concept of consequence that the rest of the galaxy sees her has a saint! While I see her as a sin!
"And how many would you condemn to the same fate as yours if you do this!?"
Ankara paused in her hate fuelled tirade.
"How many people are in pain, right now? How many have lost their lives? Their families? Their homes! How many would fall into the hell you've been through if you extinguish the glimmer of hope we're working for here?"
Glowing jade widened a fraction of an inch. A near indiscernible detail, but Jane noticed it. She noticed, and she knew she had her opening.
"You do this… and you'll risk condemning the galaxy to your darkness until the Reapers destroy what's left."
She stood on trembling legs, staring boldly and hazily up at the beast. A gloved hand lifted itself up into the air. Her biotics were all but spent, but she would try. She would not allow herself to stay down. In the face of hopelessness, she would stand.
The maw reared backward as the metal stretching its misshaped jaw lit up in a red glow again.
"This is your choice. But you have to be ready to live with the consequences. You want justice?"
Jane activated her omni-tool, and manually disabled her barriers. The protection fell and left her vulnerable.
"Here it is."
The High-Sergeant released a shocked gasp as Shepard stood tall and straight, staring her directly in her eyes. The pistol shook in a three-digit hand, its aim swaying with each unsteady breath.
"I… you… you should die… I should…"
The Commander took a step forward, extending her arms to her sides. The hard-edged gaze didn't falter.
"I…"
The finger squeezed the trigger. A gunshot could be heard throughout the halls of the City of the Ancients.
The thresher maw screeched in pain as a massive explosion tore at its back and interrupted the charging of its attack. Liara looked up above the beast and saw her savior: several Turian designed ship soaring overhead.
'This is Wing Artimec Captain Octarius! Providing cover to the convoy! All combatants, move away from the thresher maw immediately!'
Another large explosion engulfed the maw in bright flames and dark smoke. The Asari could only watch as the constant bursts of ordinance forced the Reaper-enthralled creature to the dirt of the cliff. The thing's flesh was torn asunder by bullets and missiles, with mortar strikes from yelling Krogan adding to the chaotic sight. Within just seconds, the maw slumped to the side and no longer moved in thrashing patterns, screaming and roaring.
Liara fell to her knees and breathed heavily, hungry lungs taking in as much of the dry Tuchanka air as possible. Every muscle in her body may as well have been screaming at her as her arms shakily held herself up from the brown dirt. It was only then that she saw clear liquid drop onto the ground below her. She felt hot tears on her cheeks. She still couldn't feel her lover. Where was she?
Where was her Jane?
I will admit, this chapter did not turn out the way I had originally planned. I may make adjustments to it some time in the future, but I simply wanted to post something to let you all know that yes, I am still here and yes, I fully intend to finish this.
There's still a long road ahead, and I thank you for joining me for the ride.