My network is sputtering back to some semblance of life in certain areas of the galaxy. While connection with the major government centres is still sporadic, in the heart of the Terminus systems, at least one unlikely beacon of hope has flared brightly and started transmitting again.

Omega.

Last hope of the damned and the desperate, and now, seemingly, a safe haven for the dispossessed. I find it hard to attribute Aria's all-frequency offer of sanctuary to all who seek it to simple altruism; the Terminus systems, perhaps because of their lack of cohesive population centres or governments, have been spared the worst of the Reaper harvest. And in the Terminus, the only hard currency is eezo. Aria has it, but she needs miners and workers to process it from the husk of Omega's parent asteroid. Still, if it turns out that we are close to the pirate queen's dominion, we could do far worse than seek her assistance with repairs. I would hope that Shepard's help in restoring her to her throne would be sufficient credit. As I make contact with my few surviving operatives in Aria's network, looking for a simple status report, I let myself recall Shepard's rare deviation into flying solo, leaving everyone she trusted behind to bid her life to obtain Omega's vast resources…

"So, what did Aria want with you?" I ask as Shepard arrives in my quarters.

She sighs heavily, rolling her shoulder to crack it as she leans over to plant a kiss on my cheek in greeting. "She wants me to help her liberate Omega from Cerberus."

"Wow. She thinks big, doesn't she?"

"Agreed." Shepard wraps her arms around my waist from behind. "The thing is, the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. Aria has all the Terminus merc groups at her beck and call, and we could certainly use the resources, especially the eezo. But mostly, I don't like Cerberus having the run of the Terminus systems and getting up to God knows what on Omega. Given their attitude towards aliens, there's a lot of scope for people to get hurt."

Something's off; all of this is making perfect sense, so why is Shepard trying to rationalize it to me? "I agree," I reply, playing along for the moment. "I think we should help her. Aria may be somewhat unsavoury, but she's a stabilizing influence on the Terminus. The Council have pulled quite a few strings over the years to keep her in power."

"I don't want to know how you know that," Shepard notes wryly.

I shrug. "I'm the Shadow Broker."

"I'm sure as a Spectre there should be some sort of onus on me to arrest you for acquiring classified Council information."

"I'm sure. But you wouldn't be the first Spectre to "get into bed" with the Shadow Broker, now would you?"

Shepard snorts with sudden laughter. "Actually, I'm pretty sure I am the first Spectre to do just that," she chuckles before playfully running her hands up my midriff to squeeze my breasts. "At at least, I hope I am. The image of Vasir – or Saren – with that yahg is..."

"Profoundly disturbing," I finish for her, blushing as I realise the innuendo implicit in my attempted use of human colloquialism.

"If we're dealing in human slang, the word you want is 'icky'," Shepard agrees, pressing her lips to the back of my neck. "Anyway, I'm glad you agree. About Aria, that is."

"Mmm." I tip my head to the side, letting her nuzzle up the edge of my neck folds. "So what's the catch?"

Shepard's lips freeze, and then withdraw, and I turn to see her looking almost comically crestfallen. "You're too damn perceptive sometimes," she complains. "I have to go alone."

"What?"

"Apparently, Aria objects to 'some of the company I keep'," Shepard sighs, twitching two fingers in the air on each side of her head to form quotation marks as she repeats Aria's comments. "I'm pretty sure she means the Alliance, and old Archangel down in the battery."

I'm not. "Actually, Rachel, I'm fairly certain that she means me."

"You?" Shepard looks surprised. "She doesn't know you're the Shadow Broker, does she?"

"No, but we've crossed paths a few times since I got into the information business, and recently I managed to wrangle my way out of paying off a fairly hefty debt. She wasn't best pleased. I have it on good authority that she refers to me as 'that stuck-up little pureblood bitch'."

Shepard's brows draw down into a thunderous frown. "Is that so?"

"Yes, that's so. And it doesn't bother me, so please don't feel that you need to act on this information, or go holding it against her. But it's a little worrying that she'd place our... difficult... working relationship over operational success."

Shepard shrugs, still frowning. "I don't think it's that, or at least not entirely. I think that to pull this off, we'll likely need to use some of Aria's secret resources and private contingency plans. That's the sort of thing she wouldn't want an information broker anywhere near."

I hadn't thought of that. "I suppose that's true. Not bad, Rachel."

"I can occasionally deploy deductive reasoning, Li," she grins.

"If only you'd do so more often," I retort mockingly. "You might not get shot so much."

Shepard chuckles as she moves closer, wrapping both arms around my waist. "You're absolutely right," she admits, "but somehow it never seems to work out that way." She drops her head to rest her chin on my shoulder. "I do have to go."

"Oh, do you?" A hot surge of irritation flares up inside me suddenly, fuelled by my worry that she will have no back-up she can count on. It could be Aratoht all over again. "Goddess knows no one else in the galaxy could step up for a change." I sound bitter, even to my own ears, and Rachel tenses. This is still sensitive territory for us, after Rannoch.

"We need the resources, the intel, and the strategic territory," she reminds me patiently. "And frankly, it's Aria's price to set."

"Can't you get Hackett to do it? Send a fleet to retake Omega?" I'm being childish, I know that she can't, but I desperately do not want her to go alone.

"Hackett can't spare the ships, and I doubt Aria would view an Alliance occupation force much more favourably than a Cerberus one. Letting her get Omega back herself is the only workable strategy."

"Do you have to be so reasonable about it?" I complain, flinching as her lips brush my nape once more.

"Would getting annoyed about it get me anywhere?" she responds quietly. "I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you behind. And I'm well aware of the danger, but it needs to be done. No point in getting worked up about it, that'll just make everything harder."

I sag back against her. "Athame's grace, Rachel, I know. I'm sorry, I just... I..."

"I know," she murmurs in my aural cavity, squeezing me tightly. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"You have to go now?"

"No. Tomorrow morning will be soon enough." Shepard releases me and turns me to face her. "Find yourself a pretty dress, Doctor. I'm taking you to dinner tonight."

"You spoil me, Commander."

"Don't I just," she laughs, winking at me. "OK, I should get back to it. If anyone's looking for me, I'll be in Port Cargo, getting my daily dose of happy pills from the Last Prothean."

ooooooooo

Eight days later, Joker notifies me that Shepard is on her way back a few hours after we complete a run to Garvug to pick up Prothean tech for the Crucible project. I am relieved on many levels at the news. This has been my first serious stint in command of the ship as the XO for any greater length of time than a field mission, and while I am gratified by Shepard's trust, the responsibility weighs heavily on me.

We make pickup at the edge of the Sahrabarik system, in open space, with Aria's shuttle permitted to dock fully. I wait tensely for chime, but still jump when it sounds. "Logged," EDI announces. "The commanding officer is aboard. The XO stands relieved."

"Acknowledged," I reply. "Commander Shepard has the deck."

"Wow, Liara, you have way better grasp of command protocol than I do," Traynor comments as I step down from the galaxy map podium.

"If you hear it often enough, it gets to be second nature," I reply. "I imagine by now you know it better than you think." I raise my eyes to the ceiling to address the AI. "EDI, Joker has the bridge. Please inform Commander Shepard that I am ready to make my report at her convenience. I'll be in my office."

I head down to my cabin with a pleasant thrill of anticipation jangling my nerves. Shepard has been gone, completely out of touch, for more than a week. (I ahd previously ordered all of my agents on Omega to go to ground after Cerberus caught and publicly executed three of them.) My nerves are ragged from worrying in spite of myself, and I haven't slept well. The lack of information has preyed on my mind, and my body instinctively looks for Rachel's warmth beside me in the bed. I try not to dwell on it as I check my feeds, sorely neglected by my week of moonlighting as a frigate captain. She's home now.

Shepard makes an entrance an hour later. "Hey, Li. Sorry I took so long. I grabbed a shower - believe you me it was obligatory - and some food, then checked in on the others." She grins lopsidedly. "Saved the best till last, you might say."

"Rachel. Welcome home." I cross the cabin to meet her, taking her face in my hands. Having not seen her for over a week, I'm suddenly struck by how tired she looks, how worn down. Dark shadows haunt her eyes, and she is paler than usual. She has lost weight, lost the healthy vibrancy of a human in peak physical condition. Goddess, she has changed so much in so short a time, since Mars. Hollows are starting to sink into her cheeks and here and there under the harsh glare of my screens, a silver hair reflects the light, a stark reminder of her mortality. Fighting tears, I lean in and kiss her cheek, hoping she has not noticed my moment of weakness. "Goddess, you look so tired. Come, sit with me."

She doesn't resist as I lead her across to the bed, flopping down on the soft covers with a heartfelt groan. "Ohhh, that's nice. Aria's not big on hospitality in her secret lair. Water, nutrient bars and a camp bunk I think a varren was using as a toilet. I haven't slept properly, or eaten properly, since I left."

I settle beside her, flat out on my front with my chin resting on my folded arms. "How was it?"

"Bad," Shepard replies sombrely. "You wouldn't believe what Cerberus... well, actually, you probably would. Right now I'm having a hard time telling them apart from the Reapers." She sighs. "And as for her Majesty... she's just unbelievable. Certainly lives by her one rule, I have to give her that. And she doesn't lack for courage, but she's reckless as hell."

"Must be, if you noticed," I tease gently, reaching over to muss her hair. "You're not always the most cautious of tacticians."

"I'm not reckless," Shepard protests. "Well, not with other people's lives, at any rate," she amends. "But Aria... we must have lost two-thirds of her people just getting aboard, and God only knows how many civilians died in the riots. But Cerberus would have cost far more lives. They were turning people into... I don't know what you'd call them. They called them Adjutants - they were like husks, but bigger, with biotic powers." A shiver chases through her at the memory. "It was... I don't even know what the word would be. I mean, the Reapers, horrific though they are, they have one purpose. To wipe out all organic life. There's no ulterior motive, no bargaining, it's a simple fact. We destroy them, or they destroy us. No middle ground. But Cerberus... what they're doing, co-opting Reaper techniques to try and elevate one species above the others, even indoctrinating their own... they're worse than the Reapers."

I wriggle closer, planting a kiss on her cheek. "You ended them, yes?"

"Every last one of them," Shepard confirms grimly. "But not without a high price. And the temptation to just shoot Petrovsky, even after he surrendered, was almost more than I could stand." She drops her forehead to the covers. "Damn it, Li, I'm so sick of this. I'm sick of losing people; friends, friends' loved ones, innocents. And I'm sick of Cerberus, making me ashamed to be a fucking human being. I'm so tired of everyone looking at me like I'm the one who can solve all of their problems. I'm just...s-so tired." She's crying softly, her body shaking with the release of grief and stress she has been bottling for too long.

I roll onto my back and sit up, pushing myself up the bed until my back hits the headboard. "Rachel, come here," I invite, patting the bed. Shepard looks up at me through the fall of her hair and her tears, and crawls forward until she is beside me, her head resting on my shoulder. She drapes an arm across my midriff, and I trail my fingers through her hair. "Lay down your burdens, my love," I murmur. "You don't need to carry them in here, with me." It is unusual to see Rachel let her guard down this far, even for me. She is never less than completely candid, but her determination and innate faith in the potential of others to do the right thing rarely permit her to fall into raw despondency.

We sit quietly for a while, as Rachel works her way through her moment of grief. Eventually, she shifts her weight slightly, craning her neck to kiss my jaw. "Thanks, Li. I missed you. Watching Aria trying to pretend she didn't care about someone brought home to me how lucky I am that you know how I feel about you." She sits up a little, looking me in the eyes. "I couldn't do this without you."

"I know that." Her words are bare, vulnerable truth, and I will not cheapen them with anything less than reciprocal, blunt honesty. "And I know I ask a lot when I ask you to be selfish, to think of yourself first, but I don't do it simply because I want you with me. Sometimes I do it because you need me to, because you are incapable of applying the brakes yourself." I trace my thumb across her cheek. "I will not let you kill yourself trying to carry a burden you cannot carry alone." I keep in check the traitorous thought that all I am really doing is prolonging her agony.

"I know that," Rachel says quietly. "I know that if I fall, you'll catch me. And I love you for it."

"I love you too." We kiss, chastely, and she settles back onto my shoulder.

"So what's been going on here since I left?"

"Not much. We ran some supplies to the Crucible, and made contact with some asari special forces on the rim of the Athena Nebula. Then we headed out to Garvug to pick up this device. Javik's taking a look at it. He isn't an engineer, but he can at least read the controls."

"Good. Any crew issues?"

"No. Well, not officially." I smile softly. "I had an interesting encounter with Specialist Traynor."

Rachel tilts her head back to look up at me. "You didn't hit where it would leave a mark, did you?" she teases lightly, and I slap her arm in rebuke.

"Don't be ridiculous. No, I just wanted to make sure she knew you were - what is it you call it?"

"Taken," Shepard supplies with a grin.

"Exactly…"

"Specialist, may I have a word with you?"

Samantha nods obligingly. "Of course, Dr. T'Soni." She follows me back into my lair. I have put a lot of thought into this. I do not wish to embarrass Traynor, nor to be so crass as to issue any sort of statement, so I have decided on a two-pronged approach. Traynor is a trusted member of the crew now, so she should appreciate being taken into my confidence - personally and professionally.

"Shepard has told me that she trusts you, so I think I can too, yes?"

"Of course, Doctor."

"Call me Liara, please, Samantha. I need some help boosting the signal to these outgoing feeds - they've been sporadically failing for about a week now. I can't afford to be out of touch with my network, at any cost."

Samantha nods. "Of course, I'd be happy to take a look. What kind of load are you running?"

"Tera-exabyte."

Traynor whistles. "Wow. Why would you need that much? I mean, I know R and D and intel brokering are data consumptive, but..."

"This is where the trust comes in, Samantha. I am a Prothean researcher, but I am not simply an ordinary information broker. I am the Shadow Broker."

Traynor's mouth falls open. "I beg your pardon?" she exclaims incredulously.

"You heard me, and I will not repeat it. If you think you can help me, I'd be grateful."

Traynor gulps, then nods. "Of course, Liara, I can definitely help you, and I won't say a word about your scary alter ego." She smiles. "It's kind of like knowing a superhero's secret identity, which is pretty cool."

I have no idea what a superhero is, so I nod dubiously. "If you say so."

While Samantha gets to work, I potter around my quarters, sorting datapads and my belongings, checking my audio messages on my omni-tool, and waiting for an opportunity. Eventually, Traynor pops up from beneath the console, and turns toward me. I feign inattention, and hit the playback on a saved message just as the specialist opens her mouth. "Hey, Li, it's me, uh, Rachel, obviously. Thinking about you. I'll be back as soon as I can. I made you a promise, and I won't forget that. I love you. See you soon." Shepard's final message to me before heading through the Omega Four relay. It's short and to the point, and, more importantly, context free, so Samantha has no idea that Shepard hasn't just sent it.

Traynor is blushing furiously as I look up. "Oh, I'm sorry, Samantha, I didn't mean... I mean, I got a little distracted," I apologize. "I didn't expect Rachel to check in. Did you need something?"

"Need? No, no, not at all," Traynor babbles. "I'm done. You can give it a go, see how you get on, and let me know if you need any more work done, yeah?"

I blink, nonplussed by Traynor's rushed speech. "I... of course. Thank you, Samantha, I appreciate your help."

"Oh, absolutely, anytime. Anytime. Right, must be off. Bye!"

I wait thirty seconds after the door closes before I even allow myself to smile. Mission accomplished.

Shepard laughs, long and carefree. "You're evil," she accuses as she recovers her breath. I crush her close, bestowing a kiss on her forehead.

"I am not," I protest. "I simply wanted her to get the idea without having to embarrass her, or myself, with a confrontation."

"Joker would have enjoyed that, I bet," Shepard remarks, still chuckling. "A bitch fight in the CIC for possession of Commander Shepard's body."

I clench my fist in front of her nose, summoning a biotic pulse that wreathes my hand in blue fire. "Joker would have been disappointed, as it wouldn't have been much of a contest."

Shepard's arm tightens across my belly; her whole body tenses. "You're so hot when you get all jealous, Li." She kisses the pulse point at the base of my jaw, then bites at it lightly, making me hiss. "Not that you have anything to be worried about. The specialist is a nice kid, but I don't need someone to worship me. I need an equal, and as far as I've seen, there's only one person in the galaxy that could be."

"Conrad Verner?"

Shepard's helpless laughter echoes round the cabin.