Notes:
Ai'a me - a trusted friend and unquestioned ally
Amantia - lover (Thessian)
Ber'ah - strange (a positive, with connotations of beauty) (Thessian)
Breá Ber'ah - Combined form meaning beautiful and strange lover; Breá being a close lover, somewhere between Amantia and Siame (Thessian)
CIC - Combat Information Center
Gráim thú - I love you (Irish/Gaelic)
Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian)
Consequences of Failure
SSV Normandy, At Large
Joker had the Normandy accelerating for the relay as soon as the hangar ramp was closed with the shuttle aboard, not even waiting for it to be secured in the docking cradle. Liara was devastated that Riana had been so severely injured and thought back to the three-day break she and Shepard had taken on Thessia after her Amantia was released from the hospital on the Citadel. She dwelled on the conversation; it had been three or four years ago but it suddenly felt as if it were only yesterday.
"Back to the routine? Am I to understand that you are returning with Shepard to the Normandy?"
"Rest easy, Riana. There is room for you on the Normandy and we have every intention of taking you with us. As a Spectre, Shepard can hire whomever she wishes and has already agreed to take you onto the Normandy as crew, should you so desire." Liara paused as Riana absorbed the news. As she finished, Liara's voice was resolute. "The days of someone else dictating who I bring with me are over. Your presence will always be more than welcome."
Riana was relieved to hear the Spectre would not cast her to the side and immediately gave a sharp nod with her response. "Then the Spectre has an addition to her crew. If given the option, I will never again be parted from you... for any reason."
The words from Riana's final statement that night haunted her as her First, her ai'a me, was carefully removed from the shuttle and hurried off to the Med Bay. I will never again be parted from you... for any reason. Liara started as a strong arm wrapped around her waist from behind.
"Come on, Blue. Let's go get cleaned up a bit and see to your arm." Shepard was just barely holding herself together, but taking care of Liara actually helped keep her mind off everything else that was spinning rapidly out of her control. The homeworld of the love of her life was in flames, several of her crew had been injured, and Cerberus now had the information the Crucible team needed to end the Reaper war. Worst of all, she had absolutely no idea where TIM's current toady, Maya Brooks, had taken it.
She glanced across the hangar deck; it had been turned into a triage area. Brooks' parting shot, that damned explosive, had taken away any chance they had of recouping their loss. The console had been ruined beyond repair, the data lost... and the blast injured almost everyone to some degree. Most were just cuts and scrapes from the flying debris, but it still added insult to injury. Tali had a suit rupture, so was in isolation until her antibiotics kicked in and she got her suit repaired and sterilized. Except for Legion, Sarah and Tali had escaped with the fewest injuries, followed by Garrus and Sasha. Vega and Cayla had been caught off-guard by the gunship's initial strafing run and then Shepard, Liara and Kurin, who were closest to the console when it exploded, got flattened. Liara, already having been shot and with a potentially troublesome head injury, had suffered the most of the three. "Shepard?"
Liara's voice pulled the commander out of her musings and Shepard smiled at her reassuringly as they retreated to a private corner. She helped Liara remove her armor and exposed the wound on her arm. The regular med techs were in with Karin, working on Riana and Vura, so, with so many minor injuries, any of the crew aboard the Normandy who had been trained in emergency field medicine came to lend a hand... Ashley was there and had followed them in their retreat from the masses. She quickly scanned Liara while Shepard treated the gunshot wound; Ashley was not happy with the results and crouched in front of the Asari. "Liara. Follow my finger."
Shepard watched with concern as Liara squinted with effort, simply attempting to focus on the finger held up in front of her nose. Ashley sighed as she shook her head; using her omnitool to generate a pinpoint light, she directed Liara to hold still and look straight ahead as she flashed the light in and out of the Asari's eyes. Ash huffed in resignation. "Sorry, Liara, but Chakwas is going to ground you. You definitely have the Asari version of a concussion, along with mild whiplash. You need to rest somewhere, eyes closed, for a few hours while Doc works on Riana... Then, she can reevaluate you with better equipment and we'll go from there." She looked at Shepard as she finished, "But in the mean time, as XO, I'm relieving you of all duty for at least 24 hours."
Shepard nodded in agreement. "We have time. We're headed back to the Citadel." Her head hung in disappointment as she spoke quietly, "I... have to tell Tevos about what happened."
"We also have to contact the Broker network and give them a heads-up. We have to figure out where Cerberus went before the trail goes cold." Liara started to rise, but Ashley put a firm hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently back down into her chair.
"What part of 'relieved of duty' didn't you understand, Liara?" Ashley looked in her eyes. "You can't even focus. How in the Hell do you expect to read or write reports?"
Liara closed her eyes against the scrutiny and her words were clipped in irritation. "Fine. But I have to at least go and talk Shepard through it."
Shepard nodded and glanced at Ash. "I promise I won't let her do anything to put her recovery at risk." Her hand floated up and she cupped Liara's cheek; the Asari sighed and leaned into her palm as tears started to form in the corner of her still-closed eyes under the gentle and caring touch. "She's too important to me to let her unnecessarily jeopardize her health."
Ashley smiled at the couple. "I don't doubt that for a second, Skipper, but I'm cleaning up all your nicks and scratches as well, before you take a single step toward that elevator."
The Broker teams had been shocked at the news and vowed to find a lead for them as soon as possible, especially with the new Cerberus ciphers they had. They were absolutely certain they'd be able to turn something up within the next 24 hours and Shepard had informed them they had at least that long. Liara and Tali were likely down for three days and Riana's status was doubtful... Shepard assumed she would be down for at least a week, if not two. If the Broker teams managed to find a lead quickly, Shepard would be able to put together two squads of four, but she'd have to use some combination of the new Asari on board... Lieutenant Kurin, Specialist Cayla and Sasha T'Levos... and possibly pull Edi from the bridge in order to put together a respectable second team.
A very concerned Judea appeared onscreen asking details about Riana's condition and after Shepard had explained exactly what happened, the pilot sat back and uttered, "By the Goddess. It's a wonder you all came through that as well as you did! That gunship could have killed everyone!"
Shepard looked down at the floor and practically whispered her response. "I thought leaving the Asari soldiers at the back of the Temple would keep them out of any direct contact with whatever was going on inside. I never thought the threat would come from without... especially dressed in Asari colors!" She mumbled her last words, mostly to herself, but everyone heard it. "Fucking Cerberus."
"The Illusive Man is obviously desperate to succeed, Shepard, and you know he places no value on Alien life." Her tone was one of disgust, as Miranda responded immediately. "There has to be a leak somewhere on Thessia, or perhaps in Councilor Tevos' office, for him to have gotten the information as quickly as he did. None of that was your doing; there's no way you could have anticipated Cerberus being there in addition to the damned Reapers."
Shepard's head came up, her eyes flashing in anger as she surged out of her chair. "It's my damned job to anticipate! I failed... and now Thessia's lost, along with the information about the Catalyst!"
Liara stood quickly to follow and stumbled clumsily into Shepard's side as she cried, "Samantha! It is not your fault!"
Shepard's demeanor immediately softened as she caught Liara around the waist and helped her regain her balance by holding her close and encouraging the Asari to hold onto her for support. She spoke tenderly, her voice soft and comforting. "Hey! Easy, Li! Don't hurt yourself... Please. Be careful."
"I'm sorry. I didn't think." Liara closed her eyes to stop the world from spinning and leaned into Shepard's shoulder. "I simply can't stand when you blame yourself for things well outside your control." Liara suddenly felt as if her knees wanted to buckle and she clasped Shepard more tightly. "I think it's time I go lie down, Samantha."
The commander kept a supportive arm wrapped around her Promised as she said her farewells. "I guess that's our cue. Let me know if you guys find anything... and I do mean anything. I don't care how slim the lead. Get us something."
With last minute well-wishes and promises to find the information as quickly as possible, all the connections faded to black and the active connection light winked out. Without a word, Shepard carefully scooped Liara off her feet and carried her gingerly to the loft.
Eva's Vortex, Parnitha, Athena Nebula
"What the hell happened to the barriers, Sergeant?" Maya drilled the man with her eyes as the A-61 dodged Harvesters on its way back up to rendezvous with Eva's Vortex. "None of the people in that fucking temple were even firing at this bird!"
"Begging your pardon, Ma'am… Besides the sky being filled with Harvesters, every damn one of which was taking pot shots at us, there was that damned unholy machine in the temple!… that… Geth!" He spit the word out as if it left a foul taste on his tongue. "Son-of-a-bitch was equipped with some kind of semi-auto pulse cannon, and it was spot-on accurate. Every time we dropped down to spray the inside of that place with our heavy guns, that bastard would target our shield emitters." The man shook his head at the memories. "And every shot it fired connected, taking out an emitter. By the time you boarded, there was only one emitter operable, and you saw how weak it was against pistol fire."
Their flight to the corvette seemed to take forever, as the pilot was jigging the gunship around randomly to avoid getting hit by anything the Harvesters fired at them. Without kinetic barriers, the armor plating would quickly buckle from any heavy weapons impact, forcing them back to the planet's surface in an inglorious heap of flaming, twisted metal.
Maya caught a glimpse of the corvette through the forward viewscreen as the pilot said over the PA, "Strap in, everyone. We're coming in hot." She tightened her harness further and placed her head back hard into the backrest of the jump seat she had taken; the pilot brought them into the hangar at least 30 Km/h faster than safety protocols dictated. He managed to bring the A-61 to a screaming, jolting stop by applying emergency reverse thrust to the engines, stirring up every last bit of dirt and debris littering the hangar's decking. The cockpit windscreen came to a halt less than two meters from the forward bulkhead as the engines spooled down, their intense whine suddenly much louder as the ramp began to deploy at the rear. Maya sighed in relief that the wild ride was over and they had all survived. Rapidly unbuckling the safety harness, she quickly stood, nodded to the sergeant and moved to the rear of the small craft, grateful to be leaving the Asari homeworld in one piece.
She virtually leapt from the A-61's cargo area as the edge of the ramp kissed the hangar deck. Making her way to the ship's cockpit as fast as possible, she told the pilots to set course for Anadius and travel there with all possible speed. Of all the missions she had done for Cerberus, this was the one and only time she was actually looking forward to reporting back to the Illusive Man. She stopped in the tiny galley for a bite to eat and some hot coffee, then headed for her stateroom. When they reached the relay, they'd jump through the Serpent Nebula on their way to the relay in the Pax system; once there, they'd need several more hours of FTL to the Anadius system. It would give her plenty of time to think.
Lying in her bunk with her hands behind her head, she contemplated the ceiling above her as she thought about Jack Harper – The Illusive Man. He needed what had turned out to be a Prothean VI program, the origin of which proved to be an ancient beacon constructed by them to aid in uplifting the Asari. The beacon had been a closely guarded secret within the Asari government – its existence only now revealed because the matriarchy was desperate to save their planet from the Reapers. How TIM had learned of the artifact so quickly, possibly even before Shepard and her team had learned of the location, was a huge question in her mind.
She suspected there must be someone in the higher levels of their government that was beholden to Harper… someone with whom he had had a liaison at some point in the recent past. After all, the squids appeared to be female, at least outwardly, and there was no doubt that the majority of them were quite attractive, and not just to Humans! They also appeared attractive to Salarians, Turians and even some Krogan! Shit, look at Shepard… It's all she can do to keep her hands off T'Soni when they're together! So, maybe… just maybe, Jack Harper is screwing at least one member of the matriarchy. Of what possible benefit could that be to Cerberus, a fanatically pro-Human, anti-alien organization?
Brooks had stolen the artifact… the VI program… out from under the very noses of the System Alliance's best Marines and the Asari republic's most knowledgeable archeologist, not to mention representatives from the rest of the known galaxy – the only ones missing were the Krogans and Salarians. Why did Harper need this… fifty-millennia-old program? The Alliance was building a Prothean super-weapon to defeat the Reapers, which apparently would be of no use at all without this… catalyst, whatever that might be.
And the damned VI had shut down the instant her troops entered the sanctuary, claiming it had detected an 'indoctrinated presence'. She was aware that most every Cerberus soldier was… augmented… supposedly an improved version of the regular troops… of Alliance troops. Did the augmentations come from the destroyed Reaper Sovereign… or the derelict Reaper that had been orbiting Mnemosyne? That she had been working with possibly indoctrinated soldiers on this assignment made her stomach queasy. Just thankful I'm so far down the food chain I've never been deemed important enough to have earned enhancements like that!
And I have to admit… Shepard's capabilities are really… amazing. Damn! She's a hard-core Alliance soldier! TIM spent billions to bring her back to life, and the ungrateful bitch turned on him, turned her back on Cerberus! Shit! But… she always told Harper she didn't trust him any further than she could throw him… Proved it when she destroyed the Collector station. Too bad she never got the chance to tangle with him personally, one-on-one. I bet she'd have kicked his miserable ass all over his polished floor. The mental images those thoughts created made her laugh out loud. Shepard represented everything Maya most hated about the majority of humanity, in that she was more than willing to work with aliens to achieve her goals. Even more telling was the fact aliens were willing to work with her, as if they were drawn to her cause! Single-minded focus on her mission, her goals, no matter what. She used us… used Cerberus… to take down the Collectors. Have to respect her for that, I guess, and when that task had been accomplished, she simply walked away; for that, I truly envy her!
Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula
"Thank the Goddess! Shepard!" Tevos stood quickly from behind her desk and approached the commander. "I was worried when I did not hear from you... and then I was told the Normandy had docked... Did you get the data we needed?"
Shepard didn't know how she could possibly soften the blow, so she simply admitted their failure. "I wish the news was better; we... didn't get the information."
Tevos' face paled and she stopped in her tracks. "What happened?"
"Cerberus was there with a gunship... flying Asari colors. They ripped us apart before we even realized they were the enemy." Shepard looked down at her feet in disappointment. "We were defeated and Cerberus took the data. We don't know how to finish the Crucible."
Tevos stared at her for a moment, her brain refusing to process the words the commander had just spoken to her. She finally blinked. "Goddess. I... don't know what to say. How did Cerberus even find out about the artifact?"
Shepard shook her head. "No idea...but we obviously have a leak... somewhere. My guess is they have an agent somewhere on Thessia... or in the Council offices."
"No one here knew but Nizia and me... and I trust her implicitly; the leak must have been on Thessia. Though, I suppose at this point, it no longer matters." Tevos took a deep breath and composed herself. "What was the situation on Thessia when you departed?"
Shepard looked away and blinked in an attempt to keep tears from forming in her eyes. "Deteriorating fast. The Reapers are there in strength, Tevos..." Her voice turned husky, but she pressed on, "... exactly like Earth and Palaven."
Tevos stepped up to her and wrapped her in a hug, whispering softly in her ear. "It is not your fault, Samantha. It is the Reapers. We knew they were coming, yet we could do nothing without the support of the Matriarchs. Thessia has brought this on herself."
"Thanks for the effort, Tevos." Shepard pushed back and forced a small smile of appreciation onto her lips. "I only wish words could actually make me feel better about the whole thing... but they can't."
"Nor, unfortunately, will they solve our dilemma." Tevos shook her head. "So, if you'll excuse me, there are preparations to make... continuity of civilization to consider..."
"Understood, Councilor." Shepard nodded. "You realize we're not giving up. As soon as we get a lead... any lead... the Normandy will be heading out to chase it down."
"Of course, Shepard. I would expect nothing less from you." Tevos looked at the floor. "I... I never thought this day would come. I need to go, Commander. Good luck... and go with the Goddess, Shepard; may she bless us all."
They both walked out of the office of the Human Councilor, Tevos heading back to her own office and Shepard heading to the apartment. When Shepard walked in, Garrus met her at the door. "She's still sleeping, Shepard. She woke only once, crying like a child waking from some nightmare. I gave her some tea and she settled back down; went right back to sleep and hasn't moved since."
"Thanks for staying with her for me, Garrus." Shepard glanced up the stairs but resisted the urge to run up them. As she looked around, she realized the apartment was rather full. "Is everyone here?"
"Are you kidding?" Garrus chuckled. "Even Legion is upstairs. Thank the Spirits you have a penthouse with a roof access or the entire Citadel would be up in arms. He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer; says you've saved him too many times for him to desert you now."
Shepard rolled her eyes. "Where the Hell is everyone going to sleep?"
Garrus' mandibles wiggled in humor. "Don't worry yourself about that. Legion doesn't need to and all the commandos have taken over the back office area... along with Sarah. That leaves both bedrooms open for James and I. We don't even need to share." He looked puzzled for a moment and then continued, "Though I'm not really sure if Kurin is staying the night. She's already gone back to the ship once to check on Vura... Oh, and don't worry about Riana. Traynor has that well in hand." His mandibles wagged again as he chuckled. "If Riana wasn't still unconscious, I'd seriously have to tease her about her nursemaid... but I think she would take offense. She would most likely be very upset that she's not here with Liara."
"And the commandos took over the office area, huh?" Shepard shook her head. "That means they also have the private bar... and all the good stuff. I'd better at least go collect my Bushmills before they drink it all without even realizing I can't get any more... probably for a good long while."
Shepard made her rounds and spoke with everyone, ensuring they were all comfortable while, at the same time, ensuring they weren't going to drink the apartment dry. After a few strained laughs, thinking it was amazing any of them were able to laugh at all, she said her goodnights and slipped upstairs. Legion was standing watch on the upper level and saw her come up. "Shepard Commander. I have upgraded your security system software to remove fourteen deficiencies within its programming. Your dwelling is now secure and being monitored by the Consensus. You will be notified immediately if there are any unauthorized intrusions."
"You can do that?" Shepard stared at the Prime, still getting accustomed to Legion's new frame.
"The remote monitoring is possible only as long as interplanetary communications remain functional. The remainder... has already been done. So... Yes, we can do that." Legion paused momentarily, which was an incredibly long time for a Geth unit. "I communicated with... EDI... and I must agree with her assessment. Human speech mannerisms are difficult to emulate."
Shepard smiled. "Good luck with that one, Legion. Half the time, we don't know how to say what we mean. You haven't got a chance!" Shepard paused and tipped her head slightly to the side as her eyes narrowed in thought. "Thank you, Legion. For fixing my flawed security system... and simply for being here. It means a lot."
"It is my pleasure to serve, Shepard Commander. You have repeatedly offered assistance when others would not... and have granted me life. Twice. I do not know if that is a debt I will ever be able to repay."
"That's what being friends means, Legion." Shepard huffed lightly and continued, "There is no debt to repay. That's what friends are for. Someone to lean on when things get rough and someone who always has your back, no matter what kind of mess you get yourself into." Shepard turned toward her bedroom and glanced back over her shoulder. "See you in the morning, big guy."
Samantha slid quietly into the room and peeked at her Promised in the dim light; she appeared to be sleeping soundly so Shepard stepped into the closet and stripped down in preparation for bed. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she returned to the bed and slid gently under the covers, turning up on her side to look at Liara. The Asari's face was rife with tension and Shepard could see the tracks where tears had run down her face. Sam's lips turned down and her brow wrinkled with concern as she reached over to gently stroke Liara's cheek. "Gráim thú, Liara." She whispered her words to match the soft caress she was trailing down her lover's face.
Liara drew a surprised breath and struggled to focus her sleepy eyes on the form before her. Her groggy mind picked up traces of the link before she could ever hope to get her vision to cooperate and she slid close in order to snuggle in under Shepard's chin, her arms wrapping around and pulling the commander close. Shepard returned the embrace and willingly comforted the distraught Asari. "You okay, Blue?"
Liara released a choked sob and whispered, "Not really."
Shepard tenderly stroked Liara's back and craned her neck to place a soft kiss on the top of the Asari's head. "We're gonna be alright, Liara. We'll find a lead and we'll take back the info on the Catalyst. I swear it."
"I know, Shepard. I just..." Liara drew a shaky breath. "I simply have to wonder how many more will die before we do."
"Oh, Li..." More tears leaked out of closed blue eyes and Shepard pulled her close, finally sensing what was truly upsetting her lover. "All we can do is our best... and I'm sure everyone at the Estate will be fine. Aethyta and Nayla know what they're doing; they'll survive to get the new comm buoys launched and everything back up and running. You'll see them again. Keep the faith, Liara."
A teary smile crossed the Asari's face when she heard the old standby Shepard phrase and she couldn't help herself. Her hand went immediately to her chest and her fingertips automatically traced the dog tags that still sat next to her heart... always. Through everything that had happened, Samantha had never failed her and, in that moment, Liara decided to do just that... keep the faith and trust her siame to deliver one more time on something that, as usual, seemed an impossible task. Liara smiled; when bad things happened, they always seemed insurmountable... but Shepard always managed.
She let out a weary sigh of relief and pulled back from her sheltered hiding place to look into Shepard's face. She spoke softly. "Goddess, how I love you, Samantha Shepard."
Shepard planted a soft kiss on her lips before responding, "I count on it every day, Dr T'Soni. You're the one who told me it was my destiny to be in the right place at the right time... and that you'd be at my side the whole way. I count on your strength, Liara. I can't do this without you." She leaned and kissed the Asari again before she finished, "And I don't care to try, either. I have no desire to be a solo act."
"What if I can't help, Shepard?" Liara's voice squeaked with anxiety. "What if my vision doesn't clear? I am no good to you if I can't see!"
"Hey! That is so not true!" Shepard pushed herself up on an elbow and looked down at her distressed lover. "Don't you dare sell yourself short like that, Liara. Besides... Don't get ahead of yourself; let's take this one step at a time. At the very least you have a concussion, Li, and who knows what else, so give yourself a break. We'll return to the Normandy tomorrow and have Karin take a look at you... Then, we'll see if we can visit with Riana." Shepard laid flat and pulled the Asari to her. "We'll deal with your condition, Blue... Whatever it may be. What you need tonight is a good night's sleep, so no more fretting!"
As Liara snuggled into her accustomed spot in the nook of Shepard's shoulder, she actually did feel better. She couldn't help but feel safe and sheltered, tucked tight to Shepard's warm body with strong arms forming a protective barrier around her, so she allowed her tired eyes, strained by repeated failed attempts to focus on her surroundings, to drift closed once more, drawing in a deep breath of comforting leather and musk. She had always felt like nothing could touch her when she was secure in Samantha's arms and somehow, even with everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours, suddenly, tonight was no different.
SSV Normandy, Alliance Docks, Citadel
Samantha Traynor sat in the mess area at the corner of the table that placed her as close to the Med Bay as possible. She had been splitting her time between her station in the CIC, pouring over the star charts and reports of ship traffic through the relays near the Citadel, and sitting in the Mess Hall, sipping tea and waiting for word about Riana.
Dr Chakwas had the entry door locked and all the privacy shades covering the windows. In the nearly three hours since the shattered ground team had returned from Thessia, Traynor had nearly finished her second mug of tea and was just taking the last bite of berry pie when the door slid open to reveal Karin, looking unhappy and tired in equal measure.
Traynor nearly called out to her as she walked across the Mess Hall to the beverage station. While Karin waited for a mug of tea to brew, she fixed herself a sandwich of cold cuts. Traynor watched her carefully as she bustled about the small kitchen; when it appeared she was simply going to take her sandwich and tea back into the Med Bay, Sammi stood and said, "Dr Chakwas? Would you mind speaking with me for a few minutes?"
Karin was clearly surprised to see her. "It's late, Specialist… Why are you still awake?"
"As soon as I finished my reports, I started looking for clues regarding where Maya Brooks may have taken the VI program she stole from the Thessian temple. I finished inputting all the search parameters, so came down here while the computer completes the query." Traynor swallowed hard past the sudden lump in her throat. "Can you tell me how Riana is doing? I know she was injured... but there were no details in the mission reports I received."
Karin thought of how she needed to answer Traynor's inquiry as she took a sip of tea, then a bite from her sandwich; after taking her time to thoroughly chew before she swallowed, she looked closely at the young woman as she responded, "That information is something I cannot simply share with the crew, Specialist… The captain… and Dr T'Soni, yes, but there are privacy issues to be considered. Riana hasn't authorized any data release, so I…"
Tears came to Traynor's eyes and trickled down her cheeks as she covered her nose and mouth with one hand to stifle a sob and interrupted, "I understand you're protecting her privacy, Doctor, but please?… You see, I… love… Riana Iregos. We have been practicing… melds... during our off-duty hours and getting to know and trust one another. I mean... it's nothing sexual… not yet, anyway, and the melds…" Traynor met the doctor's silver eyes as she continued, "They are amazing, Dr Chakwas! She is amazing. I can't stand the thought… the nightmares… that this bloody war, the Reapers… or Cerberus, could rip her away from me... before we've really gotten to explore who we can be to each other."
Karin tried to school her expression, but the surprise showed through in the arch of her brows and the astonishment in her eyes. "Sammi! I'm sorry, I had no idea! But you must realize that I can't take your word for it; to tell you anything, I must have Riana's authorization."
Traynor was crushed; her hopes of relieving the torturous thoughts running rampant in her overactive imagination had been dashed in an instant. "Doctor Chakwas! I have never… I am not a liar! I. Love. Riana. I would do anything for her. And she loves me back."
Karin could clearly see she had cut Traynor with her statement. "I am sorry, Specialist, for my poor choice of words. Of course, I don't think you're a liar. It's just…" Karin paused to make sure she didn't compound the insult. "...before I tell you anything, I simply need to confirm your relationship with her when she wakes up. I'm sorry." Karin frowned, knowing the answer was not what Traynor had hoped for. "I need to follow standard protocol to ensure Riana's best interests are being considered."
Disheartened, Traynor tried a different approach. "When will she be awake, Doctor? When may I see her?"
Karin sighed; this woman was certainly persistent, which was good, in a way… it meant she was most likely truly in love with the Asari Commando. "She'll be out for another four hours or so, Specialist, plus another two to three for recovery, after which she may… may… be ready for a visitor or two. And Liara takes precedence over everyone else, even the commander."
Traynor still had not heard what she needed to know. "Will she be okay, Doctor? She'll recover, won't she?"
Karin smiled as she finished her sandwich. "She'll be just fine, Specialist. She's a fighter… and has an attitude similar to that of the commander; I'll most likely have a difficult time keeping her in bed so she can recover."
Traynor's relief showed in her smile. "Thank you, Doctor." She rose from her seat, saying, "Guess I need to get back to work. I intend to find where that little bitch went with the program she stole. She needs to pay for causing so much suffering and death."
Karin rose as well and started to take her mug and plate to the dishwashing station. Traynor took them from her and said, "I'll take care of the dishes, Doctor. You go back to the Med Bay. The sooner you're done with Riana, the sooner I can remind her how much I love her."
After rinsing the dishes and placing them in the cleaning unit, Traynor realized there was nothing left to be done until either Riana woke up or the computer completed the data search, so she walked dejectedly toward the sleeping pods, convinced it was an exercise in futility. She felt as if her head had just touched the pillow in her sleep chamber when she woke to the sound of a quiet drumbeat of fingers on the outer surface. As she struggled to get her bearings, the cover panel unlatched and swung away to her right, letting in way too much light from the dimly lit passageway between the Mess Hall and the main battery. Before she could protest the intrusion, Karin Chakwas spoke to her in a soft but affectionate voice. "Specialist... Riana's waking up. She asked for Liara and you, in that order." Chakwas voice suddenly picked up a hint of irritation. "Liara is apparently ashore, so…"
Traynor wiped the sleep from her eyes as she attempted to get all her muscles to respond to commands to get out of the sleeper pod. "Gotta pee… wash my face. Be right there."
She followed Karin back towards the Mess Hall, continuing on to the women's head on the mid deck. After relieving her bladder, she brushed her teeth, washed up, blotted her face dry, then left for the Med Bay. She stood outside the closed door for several heartbeats before working up the courage to touch the haptic lock. Karin met her at the door as it retracted, placing an arm around her shoulders as she started walking for the bed furthest from the entrance. "Riana suffered a traumatic injury to her right hip and thigh, Specialist. She also has a slight concussion from hitting her head when she went down and her left shoulder is heavily bruised as well."
"How bad is her leg, Doctor?" Traynor frowned. "What do you mean by 'traumatic'?"
"She lost a lot of blood and she'll be grounded for a minimum of ten days, probably more, and she'll need physical therapy to help rebuild the strength in her leg. She's still a bit groggy from the anesthesia and I have her on medication to manage her pain, but she should be able to tell you what happened." Karin dropped her arm and faced Traynor. "It'll give you something to talk about. I'll give you ten minutes alone with her, okay?"
Traynor's smile was radiant. "Thanks, Doc." She slowly moved past Karin and approached the med-bed. Riana was lying flat on her back in the bed, with a special body-forming cushion beneath her, and her head was tipped toward Traynor with her eyes closed. Sammi stopped at the edge of the bed, unsure of what to say or do. After a minute of just observing the peaceful rise and fall of her chest under the blankets, she raised a hand and tentatively ran her fingers along the Asari's right cheek and jawbone as she whispered, "Riana?"
She was rewarded with a hint of a smile as Riana opened her eyes slightly, squinting up at her. "Sammi…" she whispered back, lips barely moving. "Breá ber'ah… I'm so sorry."
Traynor couldn't stop the tears that overflowed and trickled down her cheeks as she bent down and gently kissed those soft lips. "You have nothing to feel sorry about, Ri. You're alive!… You came back to me! Dr Chakwas put you back together and has given us ten minutes to talk."
A blue hand slowly appeared from under the blankets beside Riana's neck; Sammi grasped it with both of her own as she cried, "I thought I'd lost you, Ri… I was so scared."
"Mistress Liara? Spectre Shepard?" Riana's whisper was urgent. "Are they okay?"
"Both are at the apartment, Ri. According to Commander Williams, Dr T'Soni has a concussion and an injury to her arm, but she seemed to be doing okay when she left. Shepard did carry her to the loft, but they both left once we docked here."
Riana blinked her eyes and Traynor felt the hand she was holding exert some pressure. "My fault… tried to protect… wasn't fast enough…" Riana's eyes were moist with unshed tears.
Traynor couldn't help herself; she kissed Riana again, savoring the feel of her lips. "You saved Dr T'Soni, Ri. The bullets that hit you? Armor piercing. She would have been killed if you hadn't have been there, Ri. Instead, she's alive... and in much better shape than you are." Traynor placed another kiss on Riana's lips, eliciting a smile and a soft purr of contentment.
"Thank you, Breá ber'ah. Not knowing her fate was killing me inside." Riana fell silent, content to be holding Sammi's hand, happy in the knowledge that her effort to save her mistress hadn't failed.
Karin softly cleared her throat behind Traynor and said, "It's time, Specialist; she needs her rest. She'll still be here tomorrow."
Traynor placed one more kiss on Riana's mouth and breathed softly, "I have to go, my love. You need to sleep so your body can heal. I'll come back to visit tomorrow." She kissed the hand she had been holding and said, "I love you, Riana."
Riana's eyes opened and quickly focused on Sammi's face; her voice was a bit stronger and she grinned as she replied, "I love you, Samantha Traynor, and look forward to seeing you tomorrow." She released Traynor's hands as she continued to look at her, still amazed by the strong connection she had with the bashful human.
Traynor reluctantly turned towards Karin, who placed an arm around her shoulders and started walking towards the door. "I'm sorry I had to deny you the information earlier, Specialist. It would seem the Asari on this ship are quite adept at finding love among the crew." Chuckling, she added, "Go back to bed and don't visit too early in the morning... At least let us try to get through breakfast first."
Traynor smiled, relaxed for the first time since that awful mission had concluded. "I'll give it my best shot, Doc." Sammi turned and left, heading for her station in the CIC.
