**Updated**

I do not own Mass Effect nor any of the characters. They belong to Bioware.

Warning: Strong language and violence

Chapter 7: Doctor T'Soni I Presume

Liara T'Soni, while now considered one the galaxies foremost experts on the Prothean race, was not always as respected. In fact, despite her outstanding marks during her time in University as well as the glowing reviews of her instructors, most of her early work was dismissed due to her young age. Years later, many of those same critics would rave about those same works.

Without question, her most famous work was conceived and written during her first stint on the SSV Normandy. Immediately following its release, it was met with a wave of skepticism and ridicule. Several of those same professors who had raved about her brilliance came out in opposition. Several of them even went so far as to question her sanity. It is often amusing how theories once thought mad can become brilliant by the introduction of new evidence.

"The Normandy Saga; Volume 7: Liara T'Soni", Matriarch Dera T'Vala. Year 2213.

-Line Break-

"Commander, we're approaching Therum"

Shepard stirred awake at the sound of Joker's voice spilling through the speakers of his cabin. He started to sit up before a dull ache had him grabbing his head and collapsing back onto the bed. The sudden motion knocked an empty bottle off his bed, sending it crashing to the floor. The resulting noise sent another sharp jolt of pain through the commander's head, causing him to groan again.

'I swear, hangovers almost make me want to quit drinking. Almost' He thought to himself.

Taking a few deep breathes he once again tried to rise from his bed, though this time at a much slower pace. The next step once he had accomplished this goal was swinging his legs over the edge and standing up. It took him a few tries however he was finally able to get his feet under him and stand on his feet, albeit shakily.

Groaning, he headed for the door before picking up his reflection in the mirror. He was standing in nothing but his underwear, something he was sure his crew would not appreciate. Though it would be interesting to see some their reactions.

"This is going to be an interesting journey up to the bridge." Shepard said to himself.

-Line Break-

Somehow, Shepard was able to meander his way out of his room and up to the bridge without drawing attention to himself. It wouldn't do to let his crew figure out their captain had gotten drunk before a mission and was now dealing with a massive hangover. Apparently, he wasn't the only one that joker contacted. Every member of his ground team was hanging around the bridge, suited up and ready for a battle.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to join us", Garrus joked. Shepard looked over at him, slightly surprised. He was not used to seeing, or rather hearing, a Turian make a joke. They were a very militaristic culture. As such, they tended not to joke around, much too serious for Shepard's taste. It was good to see that he had gotten one of the few Turians born without a giant stick up their ass.

"Shut up, Vakarian", Shepard barked back. He had taken a pain-relieving pill that had helped, however it was still there. A dull ache originating right behind his right eye. Annoying, but something he could deal with. Something he had dealt with many times before.

"Ooh, is the commander feeling cranky", Kaidan said, teasingly. Shepard grit his teeth, the guy had an uncanny ability to piss him off.

"Alenko, you are this close to me kicking your ass out of that airlock", Shepard warned, pointing to the side at the door that led to the ship's exit. Rather than be intimidates, Alenko and the rest of his team chuckled.

'Wow, I'm really getting soft', Shepard thought to himself. 'I remember a time when that would have had people shitting themselves. What has the Alliance done to me?'

"Alright, Alright. Everyone settle down", Shepard continued, giving up on the issue. For now. "Now, Joker. You found somewhere we can set this bird down yet?"

"Sorry commander, that's looking like a no-go", Joker responded. "The entire area surrounding the dig site is molten lava flowing from a series of active volcanos. There seems to be a path of solid land, but it's not big enough to actually land the ship."

"There has to be a landing zone somewhere close to the dig site", Tali questioned.

"Yea, there is. Only problem is, I'm detecting Geth activity around the dig site. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that this ship has literally no weapons. It's way too dangerous to land a ship in the middle of all that gunfire", Joker responded.

Shepard thought over the problem at hand. Normally, he would suggest he and his team parachute in, just like they did on Eden Prime. However, there was still the problem that Joker described. It would be way to dangerous trying to drop in, the Geth would see them coming. They would all be dead before they got within a hundred feet of the ground.

He was vaguely aware of various voices shouting out ideas while he thought things through. At some point Pressly must have joined them. He had not talked much to his XO, not that he thought he needed him. Pressly was simply an officer the Alliance kept on his ship, so they could keep tabs on him. He was a good enough guy, but at the end of the day Shepard didn't know who he would side with if it came to it. Him, or the Alliance.

Thinking about the Alliance brought Shepard's mind back to the mission on Akuze. They were going to be dropped down into heavy combat. It wasn't just Batarian soldiers they had to worry about. They had turrets surround their strongholds, meaning they needed more firepower themselves. And it just so happened the solution then could work now as well.

Shepard cleared his throat loudly to get the attention of everyone around him. Once they had all quieted down, Shepard addressed his pilot.

"So…Joker. Have you ever performed a Mako drop before?" Shepard asked. In response, Joker turned his head around and fixed his commander with a slightly manic grin. All the non-human members of his ground team gave questioning and uncertain looks at the human's, who had suddenly gone pale.

"Of course I have, Shepard", Joker responded. He was chuckling slightly and scanning his equipment. "And my sensors are indicating there's an ideal spot to do it about a mile from the dig site. Far enough away from the dig site and any detected Geth activity so there's no chance of danger."

"Alright, well now you know the plan. Everyone, down to the loading dock. We're going for a little drive", Shepard said. He then smirked and walked away without another word. After a moment the remaining members of his team followed him one by one. Tali was the last one to follow. She had been standing, looking at Shepard walk away with her head tilted in confusion. Finally, she could hold it in no longer and exclaimed…

"What is a Mako drop?"

-Line Break-

"I'm not so sure about this, Shepard", Tali exclaimed nervously. The entire team was sitting nervously inside the Mako, strapped in and fidgeting uncomfortably. Shepard sat behind the wheel, grinning with excitement. Next to him, Tali sat in the navigator's seat. She would be monitoring the Mako's sensors. Behind them was Wrex and Garrus. Shepard had appointed Garrus to the gunner position, he would be handling the vehicles weapons in the high probability they would have to fight off a group of Geth. Wrex had not been happy they Turian had gotten that position instead of him. Shepard only got him to stop bitching by promising he could have it next time. He still wasn't sure if him putting the Krogan next to the Turian was a good idea. So far he hadn't heard of any conflicts between them but he really didn't want to push his luck.

Ashley and Kaidan rounded out his team, the two humans sitting in the very back. Ashley, like Wrex, was not happy she didn't get the gunner position. Kaidan was mad he had chosen Tali to be his navigator instead of him. No offense to the man, but if Shepard had to choose between a Quarian and a Human, when it came to technology, he would take the Quarian every time.

"Oh relax, Tali. I've done this", Shepard stopped to count off on his fingers before continuing, "three times before."

This answer did little to soothe the nervous Quarian.

"So, you know what you're doing then", she asked.

"Totally, I haven't crashed since my first time", Shepard responded. Any nerves he had dispelled moments ago immediately came back on his answer.

"Uhm, commander. I was just thinking…when we find this doctor T'Soni, she's going to need a place to sit. One of us should stay on the ship so…I'll stay" Ashley said nervously from the back seat.

"Nice try Williams", Shepard replied. "If we need space one of us can just sit on another's lap. I'm thinking Garrus and Wrex…or you and Kaidan. Haven't decided yet but we can cross that bridge when we come to it."

Ashley and Kaidan blushed and refused to look at each other. Garrus and Wrex were the opposite, looking at each other in distaste and hostility. Seeing their reactions, Shepard chuckled before his attention was drawn by Joker's voice.

"You ready Shepard, we're approaching the drop site", the pilot said.

"Ready, Joker. Just let me know when to go",

Seconds later the ramp that was used to move cargo and other large objects into the ship opened in front of them. They could feel the Mako shake as the air rushed passed them. Shepard's hands tightened on the wheel and they waited… waited…. waited. Finally, they heard Joker's voice again.

"Now, Shepard, go"

His foot surged forward and slammed down on the accelerator. The Mako shot forward, drawing cries of surprise from most of its inhabitants. And then, suddenly, they were plummeting through the air. Kaidan, Ashley, and Tali all screamed as they fell. Wrex and Garrus were silent, however maintained a death grip on whatever they get their hands on. Shepard was the odd man out, actually laughing as they fell. Sure, it wasn't the same feeling he got when he was freefalling but still nice.

"500 hundred feet and falling", Tali notified him once she had calmed slightly. "400…300…200…100"

Once Shepard judged they had reached 50 he hit a button on his control panel, triggering the Mako's bottom thrusters, slowing their descent. A second later, the entire Mako shook, bouncing the occupants around as it hit the ground and skidded to a stop.

Continuing to laugh to himself Shepard pried his hand off the steering wheel and turned to see how his teammates were doing. They were all working hard to get their breathing under control. He was kind of surprised by the way Kaidan and Ashley were acting. It was like they had never been part of a Mako drop before. His suspicions were soon confirmed with Ashley's next comment.

"I heard that those things suck but I never thought it would be that bad."

"I know. I always thought those guys were just being dramatic. I'd apologize if any of them were still alive", Kaidan commented. Ashley looked over at him in surprise, slightly uneasy about his casual use of dark humor.

"That may have been my smoothest drop yet", Shepard said to himself, but loud enough that everyone else could hear. "Alright, well no use sitting here. We have a scientist to save and or kidnap. And an army of Geth standing in the way…should be fun."

-Line Break-

Tali chocked off another cry as the Mako bounced again, the sound and vibration of a rocket fired from a Geth soldier jostling the banged-up vehicle. So far, they had been driving for around twenty minutes and had encountered more Gath than she could count. It had only taken her five minutes to realize a simple, yet terrifying fact.

John Shepard was a terrible driver.

Though it may not be fair to blame that entirely of him. From what she could tell about the machine she was currently sitting in, she doubted anyone could be particularly good at handling it. She made a mental note to check it out later, see if there was anything she could do to improve it's driving. Not to mention any improvements she could make regarding the weapons.

When she had first seen the Mako she remembered being impressed with the weapons she could see it equipped with. However, in practice it was far less impressive. The Gatling gun attached was difficult to aim when going after smaller targets such a Geth troopers. And against larger targets like Armatures, don't even bother. Sure, it was easier to hit them, but they did such little damage she questioned the point. Their best weapon was the massive canon attached to the top, which she still felt should be able to do more damage. Not to mention the amount of time that had to pass between shots.

Tali was brought out of her thoughts by the feel of another rocket hitting next to them. One thing she could say about the commander's driving, it may look bad and feel terrible, but it was reasonably effective. They had yet to take a direct hit from a rocket, though plenty had hit close to them. A moment later she felt the now familiar jostling she had come to associate with them driving over a Geth Rocket Trooper.

That had proven to be their most effective means of destroying Geth, running them over. Behind her, she was listening to another argument between Garrus and Wrex regarding which would be a better gunner. Every once in a while, Ashley would lean forwards to give her own opinion before going back to talking to Kaidan. The two seemed to be getting along quite well. She had spent the entire journey thus far speaking with Shepard. Admittedly, she wasn't good at talking to people she did not know.

"So Tali, tell me more about life on the Migrant Fleet. It sounds pretty interesting", Shepard requested.

"Well, as I said, it is very crowded", Tali continued. "Supporting an entire race amongst a handful of ships, even if they are very large, creates some challenging living arrangements. Thankfully I was spared the worst of that."

Shepard glanced over at her quickly, a curious look on his face.

"What do mean by that", he asked. Tali paused to let him know she had picked up another squad of Geth on her scanners. He quickly jerked the wheel to the side, the usual boom and shockwave following off to the side. Above her, she heard the sound of the Gatling gun followed by the boom of the cannon and the dots vanished from her scanner screen.

"I grew up as the daughter of one of the fleet's Admirals", Tali explained. "As such I lived a life that was slightly more comfortable than most. Not much, mind you, but still enough to make a difference. My family had a slightly larger living quarter and I was provided with the best possible education."

"Wow, sounds interesting", Shepard commented. "I guess you had quite the childhood then."

"You would think, but no", Tali admitted. She wasn't sure why she was saying this, but there was something about Shepard that made her want to open up. "While having a father on the Admiralty Board can lead to more comforts, it also means he is never home. I lost my mother when I was very young to an infection that made its way through the ship so I spent the majority of my childhood alone or with my Auntie Raan."

"Oh. I know what it's like to grow up without any real parents", Shepard said. "Both of mine died when I was still young. At least you had an aunt to take care of you."

"I suppose, though Auntie Raan isn't an actual aunt. She's an old friend of my father's. She actually synchronized her suit with my mother, so she could be in the same room and deliver me." Shepard wasn't sure, the face mask prevented him from seeing her face, but he thought she was smiling fondly. Sensing things were getting a little too real for a mission he decided to change the subject.

"So, you mention something about an Admiralty Board. Can you tell me what that is", Shepard asked? Their conversation was interrupted again when Tali announced another group of Geth. This one would be a little trickier, they had an Armature with them. Shepard found the best way to deal with them was to simply run them over, back up, take a shot with the canon and Gatling gun, then, when it started to get back up, run it over again. He'd repeat this process until he overloaded its shields and left it broken on the ground.

This squad of Geth soldiers were much like the others, not presenting any real challenge. They were just an obstacle that slowed them down on their journey.

"The Admiralty Board is one of the two main ruling parties that preside over the Flotilla", Tali explained. "Normal, day-to-day issues are handled by the captain of the ship in question. The Conclave handles most other issues, leaving the Admiralty Board as a last resort measure. They have the power to overrule a decision made by the Conclave that they feel endangers the safety of the fleet. However, once they have overruled the decision, each general must step down to prevent them from potentially abusing their power."

"Interesting, then what is the purpose of the Conclave?" Shepard asked.

"The Conclave is the main ruling Democratic party. They are responsible for the overall working of the fleet. Things such as economic issues and population control fall under their jurisdiction."

Their conversation was again interrupted when the Mako rounded a corner to see a wall blocking their path, twin turrets on either side. Picking up on the motion they swiveled towards them and unleashed a stream of bullets. Reaching to the side, Shepard switched gears, throwing the Mako into reverse and backing up around the corner. As quick as his reaction was, their shields still drained and the Mako took a couple hits. Nothing threatening but it could play a factor later.

"How did we not detect those damn turrets", Shepard demanded.

"I apologize commander, the Geth are jamming our sensors", Tali said, apologetically. "Once we pass that corner, I won't be able to detect anything."

"Hey Shepard, while we were getting shot at I noticed a path off to the right", Kaidan yelled from the back seat. "It might be a way for us to avoid those turrets and bypass that wall."

"Sounds like as good a plan as any", Shepard responded. He checked the shields on the Mako and, upon seeing that they had recovered, slammed his foot on the accelerator. His team gave out yelps of surprise at the sudden motion. The Normandy emerged from around the corner and was met with another onslaught from the turret. It did a number on their shields in the few seconds they were in the open. Then, they were careening down the side path. Shepard didn't bother stopping, simply proceeding to fly forwards blind. The next sight they saw was an open path leading down towards a squadron of Geth that were quickly becoming aware of their presence.

"Looks like the path did lead around the wall", Kaidan yelled from the back seat.

"Good call, Alenko", Shepard yelled back. The next second they heard the sound of Geth bullets knocking against their shields.

'Gonna have to make this fast', Shepard thought.

Barreling forwards through a couple of crates the Mako charged into the clearing. The crates knocked forwards, slamming into several Geth soldiers, crushing them. The remainder became target practice for Garrus. In less than a minute it was all over, though the Mako had sustained more damage from its charge into the fight. With the danger out of the way, Shepard looked around and noticed what he thought was a wall was actually a gate. On the other side of the clearing there was another gate that he presumed would continue on the path. First things first, he would have to open it first. He figured the switch was in the gate house next to it.

Parking the Mako next to the gate house, Shepard turned to address his team.

"I gotta go find the switch, you guys can just stay in here", Shepard said. "Now, Wrex, no trying to boot Garrus out of the gunner position. Kaidan, don't antagonize Garrus and Wrex. Ashley, no antagonizing Kaidan, and Tali…don't be like everyone else."

He had never felt so much like a parent. He had not had such a combustible team in years, so long ago it almost felt like another life. The Mako was so tall it was impossible to actually step out of it. It was more of a jump or fall. Once he was out of the vehicle he proceeded into the building.

There was some kind of machine or engine in the center of the room, meaning he would have to walk all the way around it if he wanted to get to the switch that he could just make out from his position. He was just rounding the corner when a large Geth trooper rushed him.

'Shit, how did I not see this thing.'

The Geth raised its weapons but before it could fire Shepard stepped closer and grabbed the gun, forcing it up and away from him. The resulting shot clanged against the roof as human and Geth struggled for dominance. Shepard could certainly be described as strong for a human, however he was up against a machine and was inevitably losing the battle. Shepard quickly pivoted, putting some distance between himself and his opponent. Before the Geth could recover he launched a Throw that sent it spiraling and slamming into the wall. As it tried to return to its feet Shepard rushed forward, simultaneously reaching for the shotgun strapped to his back. He made it just in time, putting a quick two shots into the head of his opponent that had it crumpling back to the ground where it stayed.

Shepard breathed out as the adrenaline left his system, leaving him physically drained. A moment later Garrus, Ashely, and Kaidan came barging in, weapons drawn. They looked between the commander and the fallen Geth while he just stared back at them incredulously.

"What the fuck took you so long", he asked.

"Sorry Shepard, we had a little argument about who would come and who would stay with the Mako", Kaidan said apologetically. Shepard's hand twitched and he had to consciously stop himself from bringing that hand up to his forehead.

"Glad to see you have your priorities straight", he remarked, sarcastically. He proceeded to the wall and flipped the switch, watching though a window as the gate dropped, showing him the way forwards. "Well, let's get on with it before another Geth drop ship shows up for us to deal with."

-Line Break-

"So, Shepard… do you think this Liara is working this Saren? If so, what's the plan? Take her with us anyway", Wrex asked.

The small group was proceeding forwards on foot. Multiple boulders had fallen into the path, blocking their only way forwards. On foot, they were able to climb over them however it would have been impossible to get the Mako through. It wasn't long before they had run into another group of Geth, this one larger than any they had encountered. They were clearly there to block the pass and were positioned very effectively to do it.

There had been a couple close calls that he hadn't been able to predict, a fact that was still pissing him off. Thankfully any traps he hadn't seen coming had been directed at Wrex, nothing he couldn't handle. He was beginning to realize the advantages of having him on his team went beyond his prowess I battle. Turns out, even amongst Geth, priority number one was taking down the pissed off, battle crazed Krogan.

A Geth Sniper had been their biggest obstacle. It had taken several shots for Shepard to pin down its location, which he then pointed out to Garrus and watched the Turian down it. Normally it was a shot Shepard would have taken but he wanted to test out his team a little. He had already seen the punishment Wrex could absorb, not to mention dish out. It had only taken Garrus one shot to take out the Geth Sniper from well over 100 meters out. The Turian could shoot, there was no doubt about that.

"No matter what she is, foe or friendly, we're taking her with us", Shepard responded. "If she's with Saren she may have some insight into him. If she's not, then she is going to need protection. Plus having an expert on the Protheans could be a big help on this mission."

At this time, they were finally closing in on the dig site. In fact, it was so close he could see it. What alarmed him was he could not see any more Geth guarding the entrance. He had to believe there was one final squad stationed right at the entrance, it was just a matter of not falling into their trap. As they were approaching a series of crates he picked up a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. Moving his gaze he picked up a strange, lizard looking Geth clinging to the top of a roof. As he watched, a red glow began to show from somewhere on its body. He had just enough time to shout a warning to his team and dive behind a crate before a red beam hit the ground right where he had been standing.

From then on it was mayhem. His team was running for cover, several crates on the other side of the clearing burst open and a squadron of Geth emerged. However, the worst was yet to come. Two Troopers made their way over to the last crate and opened it up. Inside was a folded-up piece of machinery that was unrecognizable until it activated and stood up.

'Fuck me. Out of all the things that could come out of that crate, it had to be a goddamn Armature', Shepard thought.

Tali and Wrex were currently flanking him while Garrus, Ashley, and Kaidan were crouching behind another of the remaining crates.

"Tali, any advice on how to take these things out", Shepard yelled over the sound of gunfire. Wrex was leaning around the crate and laughing as he shot. A little way away the other three members of his squad were doing the same.

"I may be able to hack into one of the Troopers", Tali suggested. "The Armature is too complex however I may be able to reprogram one of the Trooper's attack protocol, so it attacks them instead of us for a while. It will eventually correct itself, but it could do some damage in the meantime."

"How long", Shepard asked.

"Ten seconds", Tali responded. Upon getting his approval Tali switched places with him so she was in between Shepard and Wrex, away from any danger. Peeking out Shepard unleashed a couple shots with his assault rifle while he surveyed the field. He only had a second before he had to duck back into cover to avoid return fire. It looked like his teammates had done a good job taking out several Troopers, he even saw some damage to the Armature. Beside him, Tali gave out a triumphant laugh. When he next peeked out to do some damage he saw one of the Geth firing at another. It was able to do some damage before it was wiped out by the others.

From beside him he heard Wrex give out a grunt of surprise and pain. When he turned to see what happened he saw the Krogan's shields had been wiped out and it looked like his shoulder had been burned. Above them, hanging from the wall he saw that strange lizard like Geth stare at him before hopping back to the ceiling. When Shepard tried to target it, it moved again before he could get a decent shot off. He continued to follow it, now very aware of the danger it posed. He got a couple hits in however it never stayed still long enough for him to really deal a ton of damage.

'Whatever this thing is, it's really pissing me off', Shepard thought. Beside him he could see Wrex fixing himself up with Medi-gel out of the corner of his eye. The Hopper, as Shepard had taken to calling it in his head, had just made a move back to the ceiling when a loud boom echoed, and it fell to the ground. He looked over and saw a grinning Garrus give him a wave. The Turian was clutching his Sniper Rifle, which he then turned on the Armature that was making its way towards them. One good thing about the Armature for them, it was slow as hell.

Now that the Hopper had been taken care of, Shepard could divert his attention back to the rest of the battle. The Armature was the last thing remaining, the Geth it had been accompanied by littered the ground. The Armature itself had clearly taken a good amount of damage. Its shields had been completely drained, leaving it open for what Shepard had planned.

Channeling his biotic abilities, he let loose a Warp on the slow-moving Armature. This should wear it down even more, leaving it prime for he and his team to finish off. It took them another few minutes however they were finally able to bring the giant down.

As much as Shepard wanted to continue forward right away, he knew they needed to take a few minutes to breath. They had been fighting and moving for a solid half-hour, ever since they had left the Mako. They had probably taken out over two dozen Geth, and that's after they had had to leave the Mako behind.

After doing a quick look around to make sure there were no more Geth in sight, Shepard flopped down to take a seat.

"Man, I wish I could take this helmet off for a few minutes", he moaned to no one in particular. Thanks to the comms in each teammates helmet, they all heard what he said. Many of them sniggered while others hummed their agreement.

"It's your own fault", Wrex chuckled. "All you other races are so sensitive."

Wrex, of course, was the only one of them not wearing a helmet. The extreme heat of the planet prevented them from being in direct contact with the atmosphere for more than a minute at a time. This wasn't a problem for a Krogan. Their species had developed on the Tuchanka, one of the galaxies roughest atmospheres. As a result, hot or cold, Krogan had the highest tolerance out of any species.

"Yea, yea. Laugh it up Wrex", Shepard remarked. "Cause there's a ton of manual labor on board the Normandy that I've been putting off. But if you're so tough then it shouldn't be a problem for you, should it."

Wrex stopped chuckling and fixed the commander with a glare that carried a clear message.

'Don't even try it.'

Shepard laughed, indicating that he was joking. However, when the Krogan had let it go and walked away his grin turned feral.

'Oh, I was quite serious', he thought to himself. He was already picturing all the things he was going to make him do once this mission was over.

-Line Break-

It was amazing the amount of reflection one can get done when they are suspended, unable to move, inside an ancient Prothean security field. It was a fact very few knew, in fact she might be the only being in the entire galaxy who did. You see, when there is nothing for you to do, not even twitch you muscles, you find your mind starts to wander. At the moment, she was contemplating the events leading up to her entrapment.

It had started exactly the same as every other day. She and the other researchers had been up at the crack of dawn to start their day. Breakfast had been the usual, subpar food while they chatted amongst themselves. Or rather, the other researchers chatted amongst themselves while she sat off to the side and read the findings from the previous day.

Looking back on it now, she wished she had made friends with the others. Or at least established a speaking relationship with them at the beginning. But she had never been the most outgoing of people, a trait rarely seen in Asari. Her people tended to be very outgoing, willing to interact with anyone that crossed their path. Just another way in which she was an outsider.

It had happened just after breakfast ended, when they were all heading into the ruins to continue their research. There was no chain of command, nor were there defined teams. Each person had received an invitation from a chain of investors inviting them to the ruins. The equipment was waiting for them, as was several staff members like the cook and general laborers. As for who was financing this expedition, she doubted anyone knew. Most likely it was a chain of investors that had no interest in putting their names on the project.

The first thing she saw was a series of strange looking ships descending from the sky. They were unlike anything she had seen before, which was saying a lot. Growing up as the daughter of a powerful and influential Matriarch, she had seen many kinds of ships belonging to every race imaginable.

The first sign she got that there was something wrong was when strange figures began to drop from these ships. At first glance, she thought them nothing more than mechs. Perhaps another gift from their investors. However, they didn't look like any mechs she had ever seen or even heard of. Then the real chaos descended. Without a word or warning, they charged into the camp. Before Liara could even comprehend what was going on, these machines were slaughtering everyone and everything in sight.

Perhaps it was a good thing she had failed to make any friends. If there were people she cared about in there she might have felt the need to go search for them. Or she would have felt much worse when she abandoned everyone and fled into the ruins. She figured she would be able to hide until they left, but that plan quickly went to hell when they began combing the ruins. She wasn't what they were searching for, however she knew she had to do something. So, she took a chance.

Liara remembered leaving the ruins for the first time since they arrived. By this time almost an entire day had passed, and the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. Sneaking back into camp she had her way to the communications tent. Unfortunately, there had been one of the strange mechs guarding it. She did not have her pistol, having left it in her tent when she went for breakfast and failed to retrieve it afterwards. Thankfully, she was a talented biotic, even by Asari standards, and her mother had spared no expense when she was young teaching her how to use them.

The noise created by the small fight alerted several others as to her presence. She knew she had to move fast. She remembered triggering the emergency beacon before racing back out of the tent and moving for the ruins. She had hoped she would be able to get back to her hiding place without being seen. She was wrong.

She remembered looking back over he shoulder as she ran upon hearing the sound of an angry Krogan. He was pointing to her and motioning those strange mechs to chase after her. She remembered finding it strange that they were chasing her rather than simply shooting at her like they had everyone else. That was the first time she suspected they were here for her. Most likely trying to take her hostage in order to pressure her mother into doing something. It was not the first time it had happened. It was why she liked going on these long research expeditions on remote planets. There was less chance of those kinds of people knowing where she was.

Running down the mine shaft she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to hiding. They were too close, they would see her wherever she ran. It was at that time she remembered the area she had been studying the last few days. She believed it was some kind of Prothean security measure, one that would isolate her from harm until someone could respond to her signal for help. She just hoped she was right in how to activate it.

Clearly, she was not. Her current predicament was her own fault. She must have hit a wrong button and the security protocols had activated. True, it had succeeded in isolating her from her pursuers, however it had also trapped her. She couldn't deactivate it, even if she wanted to. She was suspended in mid-air when the Krogan had caught up to her. He smirked at her predicament.

"Well, well. It seems the scientist is in a bit of a predicament", he had rumbled to her. That smirk had quickly fallen away after several failed attempts to get through the blue barrier. Liara could not resist making a comment of her own.

"It appears I accomplished my task", she said. "I may be stuck here, however you can no more get to me than I can get out."

That had seemed to anger the Krogan. It wasn't an insult, but then again it had never taken much to get a Krogan agitated and this one seemed especially susceptible.

"Just you wait, Asari", he had growled back. "I promised Saren I would bring you back alive, but he didn't say anything about bringing you back unharmed. It may anger your mother, however if I get the job done, I'm sure Saren will protect me from his little bitch."

Liara felt her face get hot in anger. She did not know who this Saren was, but she knew one thing. No one controls her mother. Just as she had been about to call him every vile name she could think of she noticed a Turian approaching accompanied by another squad of mechs. It was odd, because even amongst merc groups, Krogan and Turians did not get along.

"Come now Karn, that's no way to speak to Lady Benezia's daughter", he commented. The Krogan face, which already showed clear signs of anger, somehow deepened. It appeared to her, that while they may be working together, they did not like one another. The Krogan's gaze was full of anger and hate while the Turian's face was more smug and superior.

"Stay out of this Vyrnnus", the Krogan, now identified as Karn, growled back. "Saren put me in charge of bringing her back to that Asari bitch. I'll do this my way."

"I'd be mindful of how you speak, Krogan", Vyrnnus said. "That Asari could flay you alive. And even if she couldn't, you would find yourself face to face with the most deadly Spectre in the galaxy."

Liara couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her mother was the one to send these things after her. She was allied with a Spectre, and apparently one of the best. Was all this the will of the Council? Since when had her mother done the bidding of the Council? She had long been an advisor of the Asari Councilor, but she had always remained neutral, never getting involved in their problems. Everything she had just discovered only led to dozens more questions.

'Oh mother. What have you gotten yourself involved in', she thought to herself.

"You really think he cares about her", Karn asked, incredulously. "She may be a powerful ally, and most likely good in bed, but I doubt he actually cares about her."

That was like a blow to the face. Whoever this Spectre was, he had an intimate relationship with her mother. And it sounded as if he was simply using her for his own gain. How far had her mother fallen in the last 50 years that she would let someone get away with this?

"You're most likely right", the Turian responded. "However, she is a very valuable ally to Saren. More valuable than you, or even I. I doubt he would have a problem killing either one of us if it meant ensuring her continued aid. So, stop messing about and find a way to get to her. I detected an emergency distress beacon was launched, who knows how long it will be before someone sends help."

The Krogan grunted in frustration but nodded his head in agreement before pointing to two of the mechs.

"You two, stay here", he commander. This was no ordinary Krogan, he was a Battlemaster. "The rest of you, come with me. We need to find some way to get through this barrier."

And with that he was gone, leaving just a pair of mechs behind. Liara had faith in the Prothean's technology, however it would not hold forever. Eventually they would find a way through or around it and get to her. Who knows what would happen to her after that. She doubted her mother would hurt her, but then again from everything she had just heard she was no longer sure. This did not sound like the Lady Benezia she had known.

And with that her reminiscing ended. That was the last interesting thing that had happened. Ever since she had just been floating here and trying to think of some way to get herself out of this situation. Neither the Krogan or the Turian had returned, but she doubted they would be long now.

Her attention was drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of weapons fire. It captured the attention of the two mechs that had been guarding her for the past hours as well. Another few minutes went by and the sound of fighting got closer. The two mechs had even left their position to go investigate the sound.

Another few minutes went by and she finally detected movement. To her surprise, it was a mismatched team made of several different species. When she saw the Turian and Krogan she tensed, however soon relaxed upon realizing they were not the same ones that she had seen before. Following them were two more humans, a male and female, dressed in what she thought was Alliance military armor. The next on she noticed was as strange sight, a Quarian carrying a pistol but moving confidently. At the head of the group was a human. She couldn't tell much because of his helmet however she could see the confidence with which he carried himself. He stopped in front of the barrier and regarded her for a moment before reaching up to remove the helmet.

Liara's first impression of the man surprised her. She found him handsome, short hair on top of his head that barely rose an inch above his scalp. Running along his chin and up towards his ear she could make out a strange discoloration that she had come to learn from observing her human colonies was the result of shaving hair that existed there, a strange custom in her opinion. He was built strong, bigger than any human she had seen before, though that was hardly surprising considering the only one she had seen were intellectuals. She had overhead them explaining to one of the Salarian scientists that humans could come in a large assortment of shapes, sizes, and even colors.

Perhaps what captured her attention the most was his eyes. They were a startling shade of blue and carried an intensity that reminded her of a bolt of lightning. They were almost electrifying to look at. Figuring she should be the first one to make contact she opened her mouth to speak.

"Hello…can you hear me out there", she asked. She cringed at the desperation present in her voice, but she could not help it. She had been stuck here for so long, and she very much needed to find a restroom.

The human stared at her for another moment before grinning and replying.

"Dr. T'Soni, I presume", he asked.

She was put on guard by his knowledge of her name. Was this some kind of a trap? Whatever it was, she could not afford to be picky. Judging by what she had heard she figured these people weren't with the others. She had no choice but to trust them.

"Thank the Goddess, I did not think anyone would come looking for me", she replied. "Listen. This thing I am trapped in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of here."

"How did you end up in there?" This question was asked by the other male human in the group. He had kept his helmet on, so she could not see his face.

"I'm an archeologist that was a part of the team investigating this place. When those mechs attacked I hid in the ruins. I knew I had to get word out, so I went to the communications tent and sent the distress beacon. They saw me, so I rushed back in here. I knew this was some kind of Prothean security mechanism, so I activated it, however I must have pressed something I shouldn't have. It isolated me in here, so they cannot get to me, however I can not get out either. I cannot even move."

The human's eyes narrowed at her statement. The next to address her was the Quarian, her voice female and almost shy.

"Those things are not mechs, they are Geth", the Quarian explained.

At this Liara's eyes widened. Geth? The though had not even crossed her mind, though she had to admit it made sense. But what were the Geth doing outside of the Veil.

"Geth? What are they doing beyond the Veil", she asked.

"We are not sure yet", the human she assumed was in charge responded. "We are here investigating your connection to Matriarch Benezia. We have evidence that connect her with the Geth and their attacks on this camp as well as the human colony of Eden Prime. We also have evidence connecting her to the rogue Spectre agent Saren Arterius."

There it was. Confirmation that her mother was involved. There had still been a tiny part of her that had hoped she was wrong and the two were lying to her. This Saren she had heard about was a rogue Spectre. Just what had her mother gotten herself involved in.

"I don't know anything about my mother's connection to the Geth or this Saren person. I haven't even spoken with her in almost 50 years."

The human regarded her for another moment. Liara had never been good at lying, a fact that had gotten her in trouble several times in the past. Now, however, it may be the very thing that saved her. The human seemed to accept her answer, for now at least.

"Alright, so how are we supposed to get you out of there", he asked.

"There is a control in here that should deactivate this thing", she replied. "You'll have to find some way past the barrier curtain. That's the tricky part. The defenses cannot be shut off from the outside. I don't know how you'll get in here. Be careful. There is a Krogan with the Geth, and a Turian as well. They have been trying to get past the barrier."

The commander's eyes lit up as soon as she mentioned the Turian.

"Did you say there was a Turian here? What was his name…was it Saren", he asked? Liara was startled by the intensity that had appeared in his voice but recovered quickly.

"No, I heard his name was Vyrnnus."

This seemed to both calm and disappoint the human however it had a rather strange effect on the other human male in the group. He visibly recoiled at the news, reaching up to remove his helmet as well and stepped forwards.

This male could also be described as handsome, with longer hair than the first and a slightly more chiseled face structure. However he just didn't induce the same reaction in her that the first did.

"That's impossible, Vyrnnus died 10 years ago. Are you sure that's not the name you heard?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

She was sure he would have continued to press her had the first male not stopped him.

"Kaidan, we don't have time for this. Once we get her out of there and on board the Normandy you can continue this little conversation", he said. The human looked as though he wanted to argue however as a stern look stopped him.

"Alright Shepard, you're right", the man, Kaidan, responded. "Got any ideas on how to get in there?"

"Well, that barrier looks solid", the now identified Shepard said. Such a strange name. "I don't think we're going to be getting through it with any of the crap we have on us right now. We're gonna have to find a way around."

"How we gonna do that, Skipper", the female human asked? "In case you hadn't noticed, that's all solid rock. I doubt a shovel and hammer are gonna do the trick. Not on the time limit we have."

She saw Shepard look around for anything he could use. When he was glancing behind him she saw his head snap to a particular spot. As much as she tried, Liara was not able to discern what exactly he was looking at, but she got an uneasy feeling when he turned and she saw the grin on his face.

"I think I might have an idea."

-Line Break-

"I'm not so sure about this, Shepard", Garrus said uncertainly.

Shepard wasn't sure what to make of Liara T'Soni. Assuming her story was true, she had managed to keep calm during a stressful time and launch a distress beacon without getting herself caught. Shepard had always thought himself a good judge of character and while he wasn't ready to say he trusted her yet, he did believe her when she said she had no connection to what Benezia was doing. His first impression of her was a shy, scholar that wanted nothing more than to spend her time studying places like this. But again, he didn't even know her, so he had to remain cautious.

One thing he could say for sure. She was definitely beautiful, even for an Asari.

"Oh, lighten up, Garrus", Shepard responded. "What's the worst that can happen?"

Garrus flicked his gaze back and forth between him and the machine he was currently trying to override the safety to. If he were human, Shepard was sure he would have one eyebrow lifted. Shepard actually wasn't sure this was the best idea either, but they needed to get to T'Soni somehow. That and he was sure this would be the most fun way of doing it.

Finally, Shepard was able to bypass the security code and access the machines controls. A quick scan found him the button he was looking for. Now, the only thing left to do was make sure it was lined up where he wanted it. It took him a few tries to get the aim correct, but he was able to do it. He checked to make sure all his teammates were out of the way, which they were, before starting it up.

The mining laser let forth it's powerful, destructive beam. It cut through the rock underneath where the Asari was trapped. As quickly as it started he powered it off, making sure he didn't cause too much damage to these 50,000-year-old ruins. Taking a look at his handiwork, he could see the path the laser had created. It looked as though it opened up into another room, presumably the one he had been able to see beyond Liara.

Shepard moved quickly, actually running across the room and through the passage. He wanted to get her out of that barrier before that Krogan and Turian she had been talking about came back. He had already fought plenty today and was looking forward to kicking back in his cabin and drinking until he passed out.

'Wow, there's a sad thought.'

Turns out what he thought was a room was actually an old Prothean elevator. The platform had lifted the entire group up until they were looking at the back of the Asari they were trying to rescue.

'Wow, not bad. I swear I have never seen an ugly Asari.'

"Is that you, Shepard", Liara asked hopefully. Shepard briefly wondered how she knew his name before remembering Kaidan had said it earlier in front of her.

"Yeah, it's me", he replied. "Now you want to tell me what I have to hit so we can get the hell out of here?"

"There should be large button on that panel that should shut down the containment field", she responded. Shepard went over to press the button however, before he could Ashley came running over to whisper to him.

"Hold on a second, Skipper. Are we sure we can trust her", she whispered. "Her mother's working with Saren, how do we know she's not working with her mother. This whole thing could be a set-up."

"I hear you Ash, but what choice do I have", he responded. "No, I don't trust her. Do I think she is working with Saren, not really. But that doesn't mean I trust her. No matter what we still need to take her with us so just keep an eye on her."

Having said what he needed to say he pressed the button and the Asari fell to the floor. It appeared as though she tried to land on her feet however he legs gave out and she collapsed, gracelessly, onto the floor. Not entirely surprising considering she just went who knows how many hours without using any of her muscles. Not to mention he had no idea when the last time she ate something was.

Moving forward, Shepard stooped down and lifted her into his arms, bridal style. He really hoped they weren't going to run into any more conflict because this would seriously hamper his ability to fight. With his new passenger in his arms he led his team back onto the elevator. Tali triggered its controls and then they were rising, moving up through layers of underground mining and towards the surface.

Shepard took this time to study the woman he had wrapped in his arms. While at first glance she appeared to be stone faced, if not slightly uncomfortable looking at her current predicament. However, being close enough Shepard could see the slight purple tint to her cheeks, signaling a blush. He had to stop himself from laughing.

"So, I don't think we've been properly introduced. My name's Shepard, commander in the System's Alliance and humanity's first Spectre."

She appeared surprised at the news he was a Spectre. Reasonable, he figured considering she had been on this dig in the middle of no where since long before he was appointed to the Spectres.

"Pleased to meet you Shepard", she responded. "I was not aware that humanity had a Spectre. Must be a fairly recent development. As I'm sure you already know, I am Dr. Liara T'Soni, archeologist and one of the galaxies foremost experts on the Protheans."

"Stick with me doc and I can make you the foremost expert on the Protheans in the galaxy", he responded with a flirty wink. He didn't remember making a choice to hit on her but then again, he usually didn't. He was a terrible flirt, one of the things that had gotten him in trouble on a consistent basis in the past.

"What do you mean commander", she asked? Before he could respond the elevator came to the top. However, just as they were getting ready to make for the exit their path was blocked. Making their way towards them was an angry looking Krogan and a squad of Geth troopers. Shepard sighed, already knowing what was coming.

"Sorry, I'm gonna have to put you down for a minute", he apologized. "I have a feeling this is going to get dicey and I need to be able to move."

She nodded her consent and Shepard slowly lowered her to the ground. This would be an interesting fight. There were no clear places where he could take cover, meaning this was going to get hectic real quick.

Even more so when he heard the Krogan next to him start to growl like a pissed off animal. Glancing to his left, he saw Wrex's eyes alight with recognition and fury. Whoever this was, he and Wrex had a history.

"Jurdon Karn", Wrex shouted, voice shaking with rage.

"Urdnot Wrex", the Krogan growled back. "It's been a long time since our fight on Tuchanka."

"And I have spent every day since then searching for you and dreaming of the day I would finally kill you", Wrex replied.

"You were not strong enough to kill me back then, what makes you think anything would be different now", Karn asked.

"You fled like a coward before our fight could be decided. You got away from me then, a mistake I will not allow to be repeated."

Shepard watched the strange exchange between the two dangerous individuals. He had never seen so much talking between two Krogan, period, let alone before a fight. It was quite an odd sight to see. A sentiment that was echoed by the newest arrival into the room.

"Well now. Who would have thought I would ever need to tell two Krogan to stop talking and get to the fighting?"

Looking towards the exit, Shepard saw a single Turian walking towards them. The first thing he noticed was his face. It was quite disfigured, as though it had almost been caved in at some point. Despite that, he carried himself with no shame, striding in like he owned the place. And there was something about him as well. The energy in the room seemed to shift, a sign he had only seen from one type of person before. This Turian was a powerful biotic, no question about that.

He watched as the Turian's gaze slid over each one of them, sizing each of them up like an experienced soldier would. However, his gaze stopped on one particular member of his team. Kaidan.

"Oh, lucky me", he said, his face lighting up into a feral Turian grin. "I never thought I would get the chance to run in to you again. At least not before I went hunting."

It was difficult for Shepard to see Kaidan's face with his helmet on, but the little he could see surprised him. Kaidan face was white, as if he had seen a ghost.

"This is impossible", Kaidan said, voice trembling. "You should be dead. I killed you."

The Turian laughed, though his eyes held anything but amusement. There was an intensity in them that reminded Shepard of his own whenever he was closing in on a target that had made things personal.

"You very nearly did", the Turian admitted. "However, I was able to survive. But it came at a cost." He ran a clawed hand down the right side of his face, the side that had been scarred. "A price I will now take from you."

With that the Turian sprinted towards them, a blue haze surrounding him in what Shepard recognized as a Barrier. And just like that the standoff was over. The sound of gunfire filled the air as the two Krogans crashed together. The Turian made a beeline for Kaidan before he was tackled by Shepard, a Barrier of his own surrounding him as the two collided. He wasn't sure what the history was between this guy and Alenko, but he knew he was the better biotic. He may not be close with the lieutenant, but he liked him well enough. Plus, he had a bit of a protective streak when it came to his teammates.

To the Turian's credit, he recovered quickly, driving his fist into Shepard face. The next minute the two were grappling on the ground, fighting for dominance. The Turian threw another punch at the commander's face, however this time he was ready for it. Gripping his opponent's arm, he blocked the strike. Twisting around, he wrapped his arm around the Turians neck, using his legs to trap his arms to his side.

Turians were notoriously tough, their thick skin usually prevented them from getting choked out. However, by applying one's biotics, enough force could be created to snap their neck. Seeing the disadvantage, he was in, the Turian acted quickly, driving a serious of elbow strikes into Shepard's ribs. Finally, the pain was too much, and he released his hold, rolling away from the Turian, who did the same. They both rolled up onto one knee, launching a pair of biotic Throws. Neither were quick enough to dodge, launching them across the room.

Shepard crashed into one of the support beams, striking his head against the metal. Shaking his head to clear the blurriness of his vision, Shepard looked around the room to see how everyone else was faring. Wrex had managed to wrestle the other Krogan to the ground and was continuously driving his fist into his face. However, from the looks of him Wrex had sustained heavy damage as well. Everyone else was moving around, exchanging weapons fire in between blasts of electronic and biotic energy.

As he finally made his way back to his feat he felt the room shake. At first, he was convinced he had a concussion however, upon looking at everyone else and the way they were reacting he realized that really happened. Taking advantage of this break he made his way back over to Liara.

"What's happening here doc", he asked.

"I don't know", she replied. "How did you get through the rock to rescue me?"

"I used the mining laser", he responded. He could tell from the look on her face that that probably had not been the right decision.

"What, the laser. These ruins are not stable. The use of the laser has triggered a seismic event that could destroy these entire ruins. We need to get out of here."

"What makes you think I would let you leave", the Krogan asked. At some point he and Wrex had disengaged. For a minute it looked like they would start fighting again however that was stopped before it could begin.

Another tremor had a part of the ceiling caving in, dividing the two parties. Shepard looked to his right at the light coming from the outside.

"We gotta run", he yelled over the noise to his team. And with that they were sprinting for the exit, dodging fallen rocks and looking for the next piece of the ceiling to fall.

Somehow, they were able to make it across the room without getting squashed. Shepard was in the lead until he heard a yelp from behind him. Turning he saw Liara, the very person they had come here to find, bringing up the rear. She was stumbling every couple of steps and moving slowly on the ones she wasn't. Sighing loudly, Shepard raced back to her, gathering her up in his arms. Behind her he could see the Krogan and Turian racing this way as well.

Shepard was the last one to reach the exit. Above he could see the piece of ceiling over the exit about to be free. With the two enemies quickly closing in on him he turned to his passenger with an idea.

"Liara, can use your biotics to collapse the part of the ceiling directly above us", he asked.

"I can, but why would you want me to?" She responded.

"I'm going to trap those two in here, so we can escape. With any luck, they'll never get out", he replied. Liara looked a little taken aback by his answer however nodded her head and, using a pull directed at the ceiling, broke free the already loose rocks. Shepard took a step into the tunnel leading to the surface and turned to watch. It wouldn't be enough. At the pace they were going, the two would make it to the tunnel before it was sealed off. So, using a Throw that managed to hit them both, he sent them flying backwards. Whether they were hit by another piece of falling rock he would never know as the boulder Liara had torn loose fell, blocking the room from sight.

Now that the imminent danger was over he turned and ran to catch up with the rest of his team. Gazing down at the Asari in his arms he said,

"Well Doctor T'Soni, may I interest you in a ride off this planet."

Author's Note:

Back to regular chapter length with this one. Hopefully no one waited too long for this one. Next chapter will be another filler between missions. Coming up we'll see the crew of the Normandy interact with each other as well as the post-mission discussion.

As you may have seen in this chapter and the previous, this story will have some new ideas that differ from the story. I will continue to stick with the plot of the video game, only add in what I hope will enhance the story and make it so you are not simply reading a novelization of the game.

As always thanks for reading. Please Follow, Favorite, and comment. I know I say this after every chapter, but I can't help it. I like to see comments. Whether it's reviews on how the story is, questions you may have for me, or anything else. Remember, your interest in this story is what inspires me to write and update faster.

Thanks for reading and I hope you all will join me for the next chapter.