Believe in the Shepard that Believes in You!

"Alright," Shepard said. "Tell me your concerns." She was seated at the desk in her cabin, one leg crossed over the other, clad in her old N7 sweatsuit. Not very professional but according to EDI, Tali had been pacing outside the elevator for the past six hours. The six hours that Shepard had mandated she be left alone after their adventure aboard the collector vessel. She suppressed a yawn as Tali gathered her thoughts. I could have used another four hours. Miranda was in the room, as well, having rushed to the cabin the moment EDI informed her that Shepard had called Tali up. Shepard hadn't ordered such a thing but EDI was an Ouroboros creation when all was said and done. Miranda was glaring at Tali with clear irritation and, for once, Shepard felt a little sympathetic. If she's been thinking about this for six hours, shouldn't she have something prepared?

"I want you to give me that geth," Tali finally said. "I need it. The Fleet needs it."

"Huh?" Shepard said, legitimately surprised. "I thought you were going to tell me to space it."

Tali shook her head. "No, Shepard. Geth don't let themselves get captured like that. I don't know what is going on with it but a perfectly intact geth would be a treasure trove of knowledge for the Fleet! You have no idea what it would mean to us."

"I agree that it is a treasure trove of knowledge," Miranda cut in. "But by rights it should go to the Illusive Man. He's had a substantial bounty for an intact geth for a long time. You captured it on a mission for Ouroboros, it belongs to Ouroboros."

Shepard sighed and dropped her chin into her hand. "So let me get this straight, you both think that it should be dissected for information, you just don't agree on who should be doing the dissection?"

"I promise we will share what we can with you!" Tali said. "But that geth would mean so much more to us than it would to Ouroboros."

"Foolishness," Miranda scoffed. "Ouroboros is on a mission to save this universe from the reapers, geth and any other threats. Giving it to us is clearly the correct option."

Tali whirled on Miranda but Shepard spoke before she could. "I think you two are forgetting something." Miranda raised an eyebrow and Tali half-turned back toward Shepard. "That geth isn't like other geth. It was helping us on the collector ship. I doubt we would have been able to salvage the IFF without it."

"So what are you proposing, Shepard?" Miranda asked.

"I want to ask it why. I'm curious."

"You...you cannot be serious, Shepard. It is a geth!" Tali shouted.

"Right. And just like you two have been pointing out, we don't know a lot about them. Is this geth a renegade? Have the geth turned on the reapers? Were the geth we fought before simply indoctrinated? I think it is important to find out."

"You can't wake it up without proper precautions, Shepard!" Tali said. "It could infect this ship."

"We have an AI of our own, don't forget," Shepard countered. "EDI, you can keep us safe from any cyber attacks the geth attempts, correct?"

"Affirmative, Shepard," EDI said, before adding, "Based on current estimations of geth ability."

"You see?" Shepard said with a hint of smugness.

"You are trusting one AI to protect us from another. That is madness, Shepard!"

"We'll be alright," Shepard said. "We'll figure it out if it goes bad." Shepard really didn't think it would come to that anyway and she was very curious about this geth that deviated from the the standard 'kill all organics' of most. She stood up. "Let's go now."

"You want to go right now?" Miranda asked.

"Sure," Shepard answered, slipping on a pair of shoes. I certainly don't want to sit here and listen to any more of your bellyaching. "I think between the three of us, we can keep that geth from getting up to anything." She brushed passed them and headed for the elevator without giving them a chance to argue. After a moment, they both followed.

On the elevator, Tali said, again, "This is a mistake, Shepard. You don't know what that geth might be packing. You can't think of them as individuals. Who knows how many programs are on that thing?"

"Really?" Shepard said. "They're not one program per...guy?"

"No! There might be hundreds or even thousands of geth on that 'guy.'"

"Huh." You'd think I'd know more about them after killing so many. Does this mean I killed even more than I thought? Thousands more? Or are geth programs like computer programs that propagate copies? Maybe I've even killed less than I thought. Shepard rubbed her head. It didn't seem like something she was going to be able to wrap her mind around. The elevator doors popped open and they headed for the AI Core, where EDI had requested the geth be put so she could construct additional firewalls around it.

The geth was lying on a table at the back of the Core, illuminated by a red light. Shepard didn't know who set it up like that but she found it a little amusing. Like Sleeping Beauty. She activated her omnitool and scrolled through the information EDI had been able to gather about the strange geth. It confirmed her assumption that the geth had been operating without maintenance for a long time. The chunk of N7 armor it had was covering a gaping hole. "Alright, EDI. Let's wake Beauty up."

"Beauty?" Miranda muttered.

The light on the geth's head-what Shepard thought of as its 'eye'- blinked a couple of times and then lit up. The geth seemed to glance around and then sat up. It hopped off the bed and took a step forward. Shepard didn't move, her hands thrust casually into the pockets of her hoodie. A force shield sprang up between her and the geth. EDI had stated it should cut off any hacking attempt as well as keeping the geth physically restrained. The geth didn't even try to touch it. It simply stood and stared directly at Shepard. "Can you understand me?" Shepard finally asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Yes."

Shepard waited for the geth to speak further but apparently it wasn't going to happen. "And who is that?" she asked, a little awkwardly.

"Shepard. Commander. Alliance. Human. Fought the heretics."

"Heretics?" The geth remained silent again and Shepard stifled a sigh. Talking to this thing is going to be annoying. But at least it is talking. "What do you mean by that?"

"Geth build their own future. The heretics ask the Old Machines to give them the future. They are no longer part of us."

Shepard glanced at Tali for help translating. The quarian cocked her head. "I am guessing the 'Old Machines' are the reapers?" The geth didn't say anything so Tali continued. "I think then that he is suggesting that some of the geth didn't want to work with the reapers and he is calling the ones that did 'heretics.'" Tali shook her head. "If that is true then the implications…"

"Is she correct?" Shepard quickly asked the geth. They didn't need to be discussing 'implications' right in front of it.

"Yes."

"So you're not with the reapers, then? Why?"

"They will take away our future from us. The heretics believe this to be inevitable or desirable. We do not."

"You think they're a threat to you? Even though your machines as well?"

"Different machines. Outside their plans."

Interesting. Shepard felt excitement in the pit of her stomach. This was exactly what she had been hoping for. A faction of geth that opposed the reapers. New allies. Machine allies that might understand just what the hell the reapers were after. Hold up, girl. She battled down her excitement as fast as it sprung up. This could be a trick, after all. A way to infiltrate their ranks. Though with the indoctrination, I wonder if they would even have to go so far. A shiver ran up her spine at the thought. "So why were you aboard the collector vessel? Why did you help us?"

"We were attempting to learn more of reaper technology. When you boarded the ship, we saw it as an opportunity to help an enemy of the Old Machines."

"So you want to make an alliance."

"We oppose the heretics. We oppose the Old Machines. Shepard-Commander opposes the Old Machines. Shepard-Commander opposes the heretics."

I'll take that as a yes. Shepard was about to tell EDI to lower the shield but then she hesitated. She glanced over her shoulder. I brought them with. Might as well get their opinions. "EDI, can you make it so the geth cannot hear us?" she asked, turning around.

"Done," the AI responded promptly.

"Thoughts?" Shepard asked the two women who'd accompanied her.

"It could be a trap, Shepard," Miranda said slowly.

"Could be!?" Tali snapped. "It definitely is. I was thinking about what it said as it was talking and it doesn't make any sense."

"Why is that?"

"The geth were built to be a collective intelligence. A schism of that nature would mean they've developed distinct personalities. It's not possible, Shepard."

"It's been centuries since you had real contact with the geth," Shepard pointed out. "Who knows how they've changed since?"

Tali shook her head stubbornly. "I'm telling you it doesn't make sense. Nothing in the way they were designed would suggest they could change like that." Well, you also never expected them to rebel and drive you out of your home worlds. Shepard kept the cruel thought to herself but it had become evident that speaking to Tali on the subject of geth wasn't going to be that productive. The quarians knew the most about geth but it was all wrapped up in their prejudice against them.

"What do you think, Miranda?"

"I think…" Miranda paused and glanced from Tali to the geth and back. "I think...we should see where this goes. Let's keep it under strict surveillance but...having some geth on our side could be invaluable."

"Miranda!" Tali squawked, clearly affronted.

"I agree with Miranda," Shepard said. "I want to see where this goes." It was hard to tell Tali's reaction under the mask but Shepard thought she was probably shocked. "Are you still with us, Tali? I'll understand if you want to leave."

"How could you even ask that, Shepard?!" Tali shouted, if anything, more angry. "Of course I'm with you. Just keep that thing," she pointed at the geth. "Out of engineering and away from me!" With that, Tali stormed out.

"That actually went better than I expected," Shepard quipped. Miranda actually smiled before catching herself. "Alright, EDI, restore sound and lower the shield." EDI did as she asked. The geth had no discernible reaction. "Okay, I guess we're allies now," Shepard said, walking back toward the geth. "By the way, what should I call you?"

"Geth," said the geth.

"No, I mean you. The individual in front of me."

"Geth." I'd say he was messing with me if I thought a geth could do that.

"Remember what Tali said?" Miranda asked. "You consist of multiple programs, right?" she asked the geth.

"There are currently 1183 programs active within this platform."

"My name is Legion, for we are many," EDI volunteered.

Shepard felt a twinge in her stomach at EDI's comment. That kind of unsolicited creativity truly marked her as sentient. I hope she's not creative enough to find a way around the Illusive Man's shackles. "You good with that?" Shepard asked the geth.

"Christian Bible, the Gospel of Mark, chapter five, verse nine. We acknowledge this as an appropriate metaphor."

See, EDI. That's how an AI is supposed to talk. "Great. Now one thing we need to discuss before you truly join us is what exactly we are doing." Legion remained silent. "We are on a suicide mission, Legion. To find and destroy the collectors where they live on the other side of the unmapped Omega 4 relay."

His eye worked for a second. "You anticipate that will end in the deaths of you and your crew?"

"There's a decent chance, since we have no idea what we are getting into. Calling it a suicide mission is just a bit of organic embellishment, though, I suppose. I don't intend to die, I just want people to know what they are getting into." Legion remained silent once more. "So are still willing to join us? We'll be heading through very soon."

"Yes."

"Super." Shepard brushed her hair back. I need a break from talking with this guy. "We'll talk later, then?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Shepard hastily left the AI Core. "EDI, what can you tell me about the IFF?" she asked as she made her way toward the elevator.

"I have integrated it with our systems, Commander," EDI said. "I wish to test it further before we attempt to go through the Omega 4 Relay."

"How long?"

"I should be able to run through all proscribed tests within twenty-four hours."

Shepard closed her eyes. One night before we go on a suicide mission? Convenient. "That gives me an idea."

Part 2

"When they talk about the King of Omega, they're talking about me! Kamina-sama!" Kamina shouted pulling himself up onto the bar.

"Oh, lord," Miranda sighed. "Kamina! Get down from there!"

"Let him go," Shepard said with an indulgent smile. At least someone is having fun. Not unexpectedly, Kamina was a wild and exuberant drunk. They were in a bar even seedier than Afterlife, deep in Omega. The kind of place that had topless asari shaking it right on top of the bar. And now one Kamina. Also topless and doing a remarkably good job of dancing to the deep bass notes that filled the bar. The asari closest to him surprised Shepard by grinding up against the human boy, causing him to look panicked and uncertain for a change. And making Shepard chuckle. Miranda wasn't laughing. Disgust was written across her face and Shepard was wondering why she came at all. Tali and Thane had turned down the invitation. Legion, of course, hadn't been asked.

"Rraugh!" Grunt cried, getting up from their booth and charging toward the bar. He leapt on top of it, showing impressive agility and balance for such a large creature. He scooped up the drinks of two patrons sitting at the bar and upended them over his open mouth, getting nearly as much on himself as in his mouth. "I'm Urdnot Grunt!" he cried. "My enemies cower in fear when I step near!"

Shepard snorted, nearly spitting out the asari liquor she'd just taken a shot of. "Was that intentional?" Shepard looked at Garrus. "Did that rhyme for you too?"

Garrus took a careful sip of his drink. Like Miranda, he'd been nursing the same one since they got here. "It did, Shepard."

Shepard frowned at him. "Not a big drinker, Vakarian?"

Garrus chuckled softly. "I've had some...bad experiences while drunk, Shepard."

His seriousness killed her buzz a bit. "You're alright here, Garrus. We're just having fun." Shepard glanced at the bar and saw that Grunt how had two asari dance partners and Kamina was...sloppily making out with an asari! Kamina-sama, you slut!

Miranda slammed down her glass and stood up. "I'm getting some air," she muttered.

"I'm not sure that Kamina has a lot of experience drinking," Garrus drawled as Miranda stormed out.

"What was your first clue?" Shepard asked, leaning back against the booth. "Man, what a bust of an idea." Half the crew had turned her down and now Miranda was pissed. The only ones who were enjoying themselves were Grunt and Kamina, the two who least needed a morale boost.

"Honestly, I was kind of surprised when you suggested this," Garrus said.

"Why?"

"Well, we never did anything like this when we were hunting Saren."

"We never had any time."

"True." Garrus paused. "But I also thought it was a kind of social protocol that Alliance officers didn't go out drinking with subordinates. It's pretty hard rule amongst we turians."

"Subordinates?" Shepard drained the last of her drink and waved away the server that glanced at her. It was probably time to start wrapping up. "I guess I don't really think of you guys like that for the most part. You all joined of your own accord. Miranda is the only one who I have to act like a commander with." She twisted the glass around in her hands. "And I'm not even sure I am an Alliance officer anymore. The situation is a little...grey."

"That's tough, Shepard," Garrus said. After a pause, he continued, with obviously affected casualness, "Speaking of grey situations, how are things between you and Liara?"

Shepard stared at him for a moment. "What kind of segue was that?"

Garrus coughed. "Sorry."

"Why do you want to know anyway?"

Garrus hesitated and then said, "It doesn't seem like you have anyone to talk to. I know I may be overstepping my bounds here but...I just thought I would offer."

Shepard's chest felt tight. She knew that the buttoned-up and reticent turian would only say such a thing if he were dead serious. It had probably taken some time for him work up the nerve. She decided to answer his honesty with her own. "I think she might have moved on," Shepard said. The words hurt to say aloud. "I was dead for two years. Hard for the spark to survive that." She glanced at Garrus and saw that he was trying desperately to come up with something to say. "Don't worry about it, Garrus. It is what it is." She forced a laugh. "KInd of feels good to get off my chest, actually."

A scream preempted whatever Garrus was going to say in response. They both snapped their heads around and saw that Kamina had puked all over the asari he'd been making out with. She slapped him so hard that he stumbled and fell off the bar. "Kamina!" Shepard shouted, running up to him. She knelt down and lifted him up slightly.

"I don't feel so good, Shepard," he said, seemingly none the worse for wear. From the fall at least. He turned his head and puked a little more. When did he drink so much?! Shepard hadn't been paying attention but she would be certain to in the future. Kamina wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and said, "Okay, now I feel a little better."

"We better get you to looked at," Shepard said. With Garrus, she lifted Kamina to his feet. Only to find a new problem.

Grunt was stalking toward the poor asari that had slapped Kamina. "My friend! What did you do to him, you tramp!?"

"Grunt! Hey! Get down!" Shepard yelled. The big krogan paused and glanced back at her. "Grunt, come on. You know she didn't do anything wrong." Grunt growled but he hopped off the bar. How is he still so agile when he is so drunk? "Help Garrus take Kamina back to the ship."

Grunt rumbled over to Kamina and scooped him up into a princess carry. "My friend!" he cried. "Rrraaugh!" Grunt sprinted out of the bar with Kamina in his arms.

What the hell?! "Garrus," she pleaded.

"On it." The turian loped out of the bar and after them.

I'll have to remember that Grunt gets a little hyper when he drinks. She walked up to the very unamused asari bartender and flashed her best smile. "So, friend, what do we owe you?"

After a very unpleasant haggling session where Shepard was forced to invoke her Spectre authority to avoid paying enough to renovate the entire bar, she made her way back to the hotel they'd booked rooms at for the night. EDI was still taking the shipon a shakedown run to integrate the IFF. Supposedly, this hotel was among the safer ones on Omega. They'd bragged about their low murder rate on the booking site anyway. Grunt and Kamina were already asleep on either small bed when she arrived. Garrus assured her that a medical scan had declared Kamina's blood alcohol content at less than potentially lethal levels. Grunt, too, just to be on the safe side. How much alcohol would it take to kill a krogan? Shepard couldn't imagine such a thing. Miranda hadn't returned from wherever she'd gone but Shepard wasn't worried. The woman knew how to handle herself.

"Thanks for getting them back safely," Shepard said, standing out in the hall with Garrus. They were outside the room they'd rented for the men. The room she was staying in with Miranda was upstairs, the late booking preventing them from getting rooms near each other.

"I didn't have to do much," Garrus demurred. "Grunt ran straight back here, dumped Kamina in one bed and fell into the other." Garrus crossed his arms. "I have to say, I'm more relieved than I can express that he didn't also throw up."

Shepard laughed lightly. "You're sure they'll both be alright?"

Garrus nodded. "Sure. I've seen much worse than those two, especially when I was C-SEC. Kamina will feel it in the morning. I don't think Krogans get hungover."

"I've heard it's next to impossible to poison them," Shepard agreed absentmindedly. A thought that had been floating around the back of her mind since the night began floating to the fore. A shiver ran up her spine.

The conversation idled until Garrus said, "Well, I guess I should probably…"

"Garrus," Shepard interrupted. Her stomach was in a knot, a sickening mix of nervousness and excitement. "I feel a little bad that you didn't have a chance to blow off any steam."

"Hmm?" Garrus paused at the door. "It's not a big deal, Shepard. I was always bad at relaxing anyway."

"Well...I've been thinking about what you said earlier. About how turian marines go about relieving stress…"

"You want to fight, Shepard?" he asked. She couldn't tell whether he was messing with her or not.

"Damn it, Garrus. I'm talking...I'm talking about the other thing." Shepard blushed and cursed herself for it. Everything you've been through and this still makes you nervous?

Garrus was silent for a long moment. "Are you serious, Shepard?"

"If you're not interested, it's fine," Shepard said as breezily as she could, trying to hide her humiliation.

"No!" Garrus said quickly. "I just never imagined you would be."

Shepard was having trouble telling if Garrus was interested or just trying not to hurt her feelings. It wasn't like she could read his facial cues. Part of her wanted to throw away this whole stupid idea. But...Come on. You've never backed down from anything in your life. Shepard straightened up and said, "I'm serious about this, Garrus. I wouldn't joke about it. In fact, I haven't been able to get it out of my head since we first talked about it.

Garrus touched his forehead. "Shepard…" She braced herself but then Garrus said, "I haven't either. I never thought I'd be interested in a human. But more than that, I never thought that you would be interested in me. I mean, you're Shepard and I'm just…"

Shepard shook her head fiercely. "Don't even, Garrus. You were my very first thought when I was putting this team together. There is nobody I'd rather have at my side. Nobody I respect more than you."

"Shepard...you're going to make me blush."

Shepard laughed, more out of relief than at the actual joke. "Can turians even do that?"

"Not normally, no." Both of them chuckled. "If you're serious, Shepard, I did, ah, do a some research into turian-human interspecies intercourse."

Ugh, word choice, Garrus. "I did, too," Shepard said, running her hands over her goose bump covered forearms. I was kind of surprised by how much was out there."

"Yeah, I guess when it comes to sex, our species share a certain trait of curiosity."

"I guess we both know what we're in for then." Shepard forced herself to look Garrus directly in the eyes. "So, Garrus, do you want to come up to my room?"

"If...if you'll have me, Shepard," he responded with nervousness that made Shepard grin. What a pure maiden. I'll fix that.

Part 3

Liara paced her apartment. She'd been doing so for hours now but she couldn't relax. Viral and Samara had taken Tela Vasir, the asari Spectre that had tried to assassinate her, away to Vasir's base. Liara had tried to come but they had both insisted that she stay. Liara had known what she likely condemned Vasir to by leaving her in the hands of those two. Yet she hadn't raised her voice in protest. There was a culturally ingrained respect for justicars that wasn't easily broken. Liara wondered what Shepard would have done. The woman could be ruthless when she felt she had to be but she also had hard ethical boundaries. Would she have let Vasir get tortured? Liara got queasy at the mere thought of it.

A knock at the door nearly gave Liara a heart-attack. She hurried over to the door and opened it. Samara and Viral waited outside. Contrary to her morbid expectations, neither one of them were covered in blood. "Good evening," Samara said with a polite smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Good evening, Justicar," Liara automatically responded. She stepped away from the door so that Samara and Viral could come in. As per usual, Viral kept his silence. The three of them sat down at the table in Liara's dining room. "Did you find out why Vasir was trying to kill me?" Liara burst out almost immediately.

Samara seemed vaguely irritated and Liara realized she'd failed to offer her guests any refreshment. She was too sick with nervousness to even think about such things now, though. "Well," Samara said. "We have no reason to disbelieve that she was being truthful when she stated that it was the Shadow Broker who asked her to assassinate you. Unfortunately, she didn't know why and the Broker is obviously very good at covering his tracks. There is no hard evidence that he contracted Vasir."

"I see."

"But we did get into Vasir's omnitool and there is plenty of evidence she was working with the Shadow Broker as well as many other power brokers across the universe. She kept quite detailed records on all her activities, presumably so she could blackmail as needed."

Viral scoffed. "And she was supposed to be one of the people responsible for protecting the galaxy? Pathetic."

Samara nodded. "It is true. Whatever her original motivations, Vasir had become twisted. The sort of person a Spectre should be hunting down."

Liara couldn't help but notice that they were speaking of Vasir in the past tense. "What did you do with her?"

Samara looked Liara directly in the eyes. "The code was clear," she said simply. There was no defensiveness, recrimination or pride in her voice. Liara felt cowed by that placid gaze. She didn't like the idea of extra-judicial killing but...it was hard to argue with a justicar. "Now, the question is what to do next," Samara continued. "As I said before, we have an idea where the Shadow Broker might be thanks to Vasir. If you want to know why he is after your life, we could ask him in person."

Liara laced her fingers together and thought about it. The Shadow Broker was an extremely dangerous individual. He was sure to have extensive defenses. However, she had a justicar with her and, whatever Viral was, he seemed to be a powerful warrior. Liara was no slouch herself, after that desperate run chasing Saren. There were serious benefits, too. It wasn't like the Shadow Broker would leave her alone if she ignored him, so confrontation was inevitable. Moreover and more importantly, the Shadow Broker might have information that would help in the quest that would stop the reapers. What would Shepard do? The answer was clear. Liara gave a decisive nod. "Let's go."

As it turned out, Vasir had her own ship, the Nasurn, which they decided to commandeer. It was a small personal yacht with a luxurious interior. Once Liara began checking the ship over though, she noticed that it had an advanced engine, state-of-the-art shields and a ton of firepower. I guess Vasir was a Spectre, after all. It wouldn't stand up to a military ship like the Normandy but Liara doubted there many yachts that could match it. Samara, showing surprising adaptability, managed to easily fake the security clearances to get them off Illium without suspicion. Liara wished she knew more about the justicar's past but it was hard to ask.

Samara took the task of piloting the ship, leaving Liara free to try and sleep. Mostly she just brooded and fretted until she gave up and left Vasir's cabin. She ran into Viral just outside. He was staring through a viewport, a silent snarl on his face. Liara softly walked up beside him and peered through the same viewport. There was the customary smattering of stars, of course, but little else. She wondered what he was looking at.

"The lights in the sky are stars," Viral said without turning around. Liara froze, completely at a loss. "My...friend...used to like to say that." Liara was glad he continued but still had no idea how to respond. It's obvious the lights in the sky are stars. What does that have to do with anything? Viral glanced over his shoulder at her and sneered, making it obvious to Liara that she wasn't hiding her confusion well. "He grew up underground, being told that the sky was a myth. He eventually made it out and learned what stars were and how vast the universe actually was. So he would say that a lot. To remind people that in such a universe, infinite possibilities must exist."

"Oh. That's...that's beautiful," Liara tried, though she didn't really understand what Viral was trying to tell her. Or why.

"I always thought it was pretty stupid, myself," Viral said, turning back away. Liara frowned. What does he want from me? "He and his friends always used to go on and on about crap like that. They truly believed it all, too. Foolish children." Liara thought she could hear a little self-recrimination in the comment.

"I don't know," Liara said. "It's maybe a little naive to think that there are infinite possibilities but nobody changed anything by thinking outcomes were inevitable."

"And what if things are? What if all of this struggle is hopeless? What if, even if we win, we'll learn that it was all pointless?" He glanced at her and Liara took a step back at the fire in his eyes. "What if defeating the reapers only makes things worse?"

"I don't see how that could be," Liara said carefully. "After all, the reapers are trying to kill every last sentient in the galaxy, aren't they?"

"Everybody has to die at some point. But which would you'd prefer? A gunshot to the head or a slow death from cancer?"

"I'd prefer not to die," Liara said. Viral's lip curled into a snarl so Liara hurriedly continued, "But I suppose a quick death is preferable?" Though a longer death give you time to get your affairs in order and say goodbyes...maybe a quicker death caused by a sickness? Oh, why am I thinking about this?

For some reason, Viral seemed disappointed by her answer. He turned away again and said, "Then maybe the reapers are doing the right thing."

"What?" Liara asked. "What does that mean?" Viral kept his silence. Liara prodded him a few more times but he refused to even look at her. Eventually she gave up and headed for the cockpit of the yacht. She slumped down in the co-pilot's seat next to Samara. "Did you hear any of that?" she asked the venerable justicar. Samara nodded. "What do you make of it?" she asked softly.

"It seems like he has some idea of the reapers' motivation. And knowing it, he is conflicted about whether fighting them is the right thing to do."

"But how could that be?" Liara asked. Then she lowered her voice again. "What could possibly make it okay for them to slaughter every sentient in the galaxy?"

"I have no ideas," Samara said calmly. "But they must have a reason. Why else would they do what they do?"

Liara nodded unhappily. Part of her wanted to believe that they were just some crazy weapon system from an ancient race that activated every fifty thousand years or so and wiped out everything. She knew it wasn't that simple though. There was meaning in what the reapers were doing. It was just impossible for her to even conceive of that meaning, though. "I just don't get it. What could justify such an atrocity?"

Samara glanced at Liara and Liara shrank back a bit. Somehow, the justicar's blue eyes were even colder than usual. "You remember that I've been chasing my daughter, Morinth, for years?" Liara nodded. "There was one point where I had lost track of her for decades. I finally found her on an old, nearly forgotten asari colony. Their technology was absurdly outdated and they had almost no contact with the outside universe. Morinth, using her prodigious charisma and ruthless politics, had become something between a queen and a goddess of the place. As I tried to reach her, she set the populace upon me. An entire city rioted, trying to kill me for their goddess. I knew she was trying to delay me so she could escape." Liara's throat went dry. "I had a decision to make. Retreat, let Morinth get away to continue killing or fight and kill dozens or hundreds of her victims to try and reach her." Liara didn't even have to ask what Samara did. "An even deeper question than that might be, was it right to leave those people alive under Morinth's tyrannical rule or was breaking her rule worth killing many of the very people who Morinth was dominating?"

Liara blinked. Does she really expect me to have an answer to that? "I don't know, Samara. That's an insane situation."

"Such things aren't so unusual in this galaxy. If you are going to survive working with a woman like Shepard, you're going to have to find your answer. For me, the code is clarity. I take comfort in knowing that I will always know the correct choice in any situation. Shepard, I can tell from our brief meeting, has her own core of beliefs that allow her to be ruthless when she needs to be." Samara smiled and it actually touched her eyes for once. "I can see how smart you are, Liara. It makes it harder. You see complication and shades of grey everywhere." Her smile faded. "But I am giving you a warning. If you don't find something to hang on to, something to define your ethical boundaries, this universe will drive you insane."

Liara slumped down in her seat. All I ever wanted was to study the protheans. I never asked for any of this. Even as she had the thought, Liara felt childish. Nobody asked for the trials they suffered. Certainly nobody asked for the reapers to be inflicted upon the galaxy. But not everyone had the ability to fight. At least she had that. She just had to figure out how far she was willing to go. "Thank you, Samara," she said. It was nice to have an older asari to talk to. Almost like having her mother back. Liara closed her eyes, suddenly overcome with exhaustion.

"Liara," a soft voice said. A hand was gently shaking her arm. "Wake up. We're getting close." Liara opened her eyes, squinting at the light. It took her a moment to remember where she was an what was happening. When it hit, Liara sat up with a start. How did I fall asleep in the co-pilot's chair?! She wiped some drool away from the corner of her mouth, feeling very embarrassed.

"What's going on?" she asked with as much dignity as she could muster.

"We've arrived at the planet where Vasir believes the Shadow Broker resides." Liara peered at the rapidly approaching planet. It was yellow, with a thick atmosphere. Didn't seem terribly welcoming. Exactly the sort of place a Shadow Broker would hide. Samara swooped into the atmosphere, keeping the yacht remarkably steady. "According to Vasir, the Shadow Broker's moves with the sun set, concealed in a perpetual storm. None of our instruments will be able to locate it."

"So we just have to look for it?" Liara asked, a little daunted.

Samara nodded. "But, if Vasir is right, there is a small window where we will find it." Liara frowned but set herself to looking for it. Samara flew the yacht in an efficient search pattern, as expected.

LIara spotted the ship first. "There!" she exclaimed. "What is that?" Samara looped the ship around and headed towards it. A few seconds later it became clear that Liara had indeed spotted the Shadow Broker's ship. Vasir might have been corrupt but she certainly wasn't stupid. The the location of the Shadow Broker was one of the biggest and most speculated upon secrets in the galaxy. For Vasir to have narrowed it down...Her skills certainly warranted Spectre status, if nothing else. "There doesn't seem to be any defenses," Liara mused aloud.

"I suppose he relies upon remaining hidden in the storm," Samara said. "That's good for us but if that ship has a shuttle bay, it is locked down." She glanced over. "We'll need to land on the outside of the ship and try to find a hatch."

Liara blanched. "That seems very dangerous. Based on the atmosphere, I'm guessing that lightning strikes are near constant."

"Do you have an alternative?" There was no recrimination in Samara's voice, merely curiosity.

Liara thought hard but couldn't come up with anything. "I suppose you're right. We'll just have to make it fast. Every second we're out there increases the odds we are struck by lightning."

Samara nodded. "Go and get Viral. I will do a quick flyover and see if I can spot anything that may be a hatch."

"Right." Liara turned to run back into the ship and nearly smacked right into Viral.

"Have we arrived?" he growled.

Liara nodded and pointed toward the Shadow Broker's ship. "Samara is trying to find us a place to land."

The justicar shook her head. "I can't make out much. I think we're just going to have to get out and search."

Liara bit her lip. She didn't like the sound of that. But, again, she didn't have a better solution. Samara swooped low and set the auto-pilot to hold position relative to the Shadow Broker's ship. All they could do was hope that there were no problems. There was only the three of them versus whatever defenses the Shadow Broker had. It seemed like a bad idea to leave somebody behind. Fitted with breathing masks, they all jumped to the surface of the Shadow Broker's ship.

Samara took point as they searched for a hatch with Liara bringing up the rear. At first, nothing bothered them but the wind and electricity in the air. The Shadow Broker had set up a series of lightning rods to attract and store the near-constant bolts. Liara wondered if he was converting the strikes to power. A little red maintenance droid did try and remove her as if she were just random debris so Liara bounced it off the ship with her biotics.

Just as Liara was starting to wonder if the Shadow Broker truly had no defenses, she heard shots from up ahead. Liara turned and saw several droids approaching. The asari justicar dispatched them quickly but it dashed Liara's faint hope that they would reach the Shadow Broker without a fight. A little further along and they fell into an ambush. Fortunately, there was cover, which all three of them quickly ducked behind. The Shadow Broker's men had them in a nice cross-fire zone, however. Liara peered around and saw asari, salarians, turians and humans. No hint as to the Shadow Broker's species. Probably not a batarian, though. She also spotted one of the lightning capacitors just beyond three of the men. Trusting a hunch, she popped up and fired a spray of bullets at the capacitor. As she expected, the thing overloaded and lightning shot out, electrocuting the three. Samara, a veteran of who knew how many battles, adapted instantly. She picked up a man with her biotics and flung him into a different capacitor. The resulting overload electrocuted four more.

With eight down, the ambush was swiftly broken. The three met up in a huddle when it was over. "I should have known this was too easy so far," Liara said.

"I was glad to see them," Samara said. When Liara looked at her like she was crazy, the justicar explained, "It means there is a way into the ship. They had to come from somewhere, right?"

"I suppose that is one way to look at it," Liara conceded. "What about you, Viral? Are you sure you don't want a weapon?" The strange man had turned his nose up when offered a gun.

"You two seem like you're handling things fine," he said dismissively. "But if you want me to help, feel free to fling me at a group of them."

W-what? Liara didn't know how to respond to that. Was he insane? He did seem to be immortal or at least have some kind of mutant healing factor but why would he choose the most dangerous and harmful way to fight, even so? Did he enjoy pain? Samara apparently just took him at his word and then next time they faced a group of mercenaries, she really did boost him at a knot of them. Liara watched him tear them apart with his bare hands. She almost threw up. He was like a beast. But she also remembered his words on the ship. Musing on unanswerable questions. He was a paradox. For the first time, Liara felt a person was truly...alien. Her heart sped up at the thought.

Her body was mostly on autopilot as they traversed the ship, her mind on the strange creature named Viral. It hardly mattered though. Though she herself was a scientist, she'd been through the fire with Shepard. Samara was an ancient justicar. Viral was an immortal berserker. The poor mercenaries commanded to stop them had as much chance as all the sorry souls that had tried to halt Shepard.

Then they hit a roadblock. They found a hatch but, unlike Shepard, not of them were tech experts. Liara slapped her head and groaned. "I should have thought of this." The hatch was sealed tight and Liara couldn't think of a good reason why it would ever open. She glanced at Samara hopefully but the justicar shook her head. Now what? Liara racked her mind for a solution. She couldn't imagine Shepard would ever be halted by something like this. "Do you have any ideas, Samara?"

The justicar shook her head. "I confess, thought I have learned as much as I can, technology was never my strongest suit."

Viral snorted and shook his head. "Are you serious? Stuck so soon? I thought if the Champion chose you, you must be something but…"

The look of profound disdain on his face angered Liara. "Then you do something, if it's so easy!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I can't. I told you, I'm just a jester. I don't have any power. You two, though," he flicked his eyes from Liara to Samara. "You have a natural affinity for spiral power. There a myriad ways for two beings with your power to make it through this hatch."

Samara broke in. "There are few that exceed my biotic capabilities but I don't believe I could come close to generating enough power to rip this hatch off." Liara nodded rapidly. What does he think we are?

Viral made a noise of irritation. "The fact that you have already decided you can't is the only thing that limits you."

Liara sighed. Now he's spouting motivational tripe? He's so bizarre. "That sounds like something I might write on a struggling student's test," she said. "There are limits and there are limits. Some things can't be done simply by trying harder."

"If you are the best that this iteration as to offer, then you are all already doomed," Viral said with exasperation.

Liara clenched her fists and began, "Now listen." Before she could continue, Viral suddenly lifted his hand and plunged it into the side of his head. It disappeared up to the wrist and then he ripped it out, blood, brain and bones geysering out. The insane creature stumbled and fell. For the first time since she was a child, Liara actually screamed in horror. Even the remarkably stoic Samara took a step back, her bright blue eyes opened wide in surprise. The shock left Liara's mind reeling. All she could think was What the hell? What the hell?!

Then, she watched his skull grow back in and his flesh knit itself back together. When he returned to his feet, there was no trace of in self-inflicted wound. Other than the blood. He stomped forward and put his face right into hers, so that their noses were nearly touching. "What were you saying about limits? That right there. That was nothing. The leader of the reapers can do things that make that look like child's play. If you can't even move from one spot to another…" He stepped back and laughed. "I mean, what are we even doing? You should just go home and enjoy your last few months of life instead of wasting your last moments fighting." Liara trembled with humiliation but she couldn't refute him. Viral turned to Samara. "What about you, I thought you were supposed to be the best of the best of your pathetic species. You're not even going to try?"

Samara crossed her arms, evidently unmoved. "Your histrionics are aren't going to change my mind about my ability. I trained for decades, testing my limits. I know exactly where they are."

"You fish-heads are beyond disappointing. All that power right at your fingertips and you're too afraid to really use it. I can think of only a few species that have ever had your natural affinity for spiral energy and you're the sorriest of the lot by far. Even the humans are better than you! Those naked apes might be complete morons but at least they have some guts! How long have you arari had an interstellar civilization? The humans are already taking leadership away from you, aren't they? Pathetic. Cowards."

"Be quiet!" Liara snapped. "What do you know about asari?"

"I know that if you two are examples of what they have to offer, your race will fall to the reapers laughably easily."

Liara was shaking. The things he said were not only profoundly insulting, they had a hint of truth to them. Liara had felt it. Heard the whispers. Asari had been the guiding light of civilization for millennia while humans hadn't even achieved interstellar flight when Liara was born. Yet the tide was shifting. Asari and others liked to call humans brash, impulsive, short-sighted and greedy but that was just perspective. They could also be called bold, passionate, focused and ambitious. Whatever it was, the light touch and diplomatic manipulation of the asari was starting to lose to the loud and fiery leadership of humans. "We...we might not be as pushy and loudmouthed as humans but asari have there own way of doing things and…" She faltered and trailed off as Viral started to laugh at her. Liara was close to tears. Why did I let myself get sucked in? She glanced at Samara, composed and silent. Above it all.

But that's the problem, isn't it? Asari were always 'above it all,' where humans weren't afraid to get into the muck. To take risks, even if they ended up looking foolish. Risks...Liara glanced at the hatch. She had read a theory about reproducing the warping effect of a mass relay on a small scale with biotics maybe forty or fifty years ago. But the author had concluded that no person could even come close to generating the necessary power. If I try and warp through and just end up boosting into it, I might kill myself. Liara's shoulders slumped. It was impossible after all. Defeated by a simple hatch. Viral is right. This is shameful. Shepard would never let herself get stopped so easily.

And it's painfully clear I'm no Shepard. Liara grit her teeth. She wouldn't get emotional in front of Viral. At least not that. But all of the self-loathing Liara had been feeling for the past two years started to well up. Liara had watched Shepard die without being able to do a single thing. Then she'd ended up on Illium, teaching students who would be killed by reapers before they were old enough to graduate, probably. She'd done nothing about the looming extinction event. Shepard had been alive again for only a few weeks and she was already carrying on the fight. The difference. Between Shepard and Liara. Between humans and asari.

And, yet, she asked you for help. Shepard had sought her out and asked her to do something that Shepard herself felt she could not. Shepard believes in me. The thought filled Liara's limbs with new strength. That's right. She asked for my help. She is trusting me. Liara stared at the hatch again. I might not believe in myself but someone much better than me believes in me. She trusts me. She believes in me. And Shepard is never wrong! Liara started to gather energy.

"What are you doing, Liara?" Samara said sharply. "Do not let this creature goad you into such foolishness."

Liara glanced at Viral. His tirade had stopped and he was watching her with a mix of curiosity and contempt. I will show you. Do not underestimate asari. She turned back to the hatch and then closed her eyes. She reached out with her mind and felt past the hatch to a spot beyond it. Feel it. Do not be afraid. One point to the next. That's all. One point to the next. Liara felt something tugging on her. Samara was shouting in the background but Liara tuned her out. I will not fail because I cannot fail. Shepard is counting on me. Liara could feel the strings that held the universe together. One point to the next. Go!

Her mind went blank for an instant and then all of the biotic energy drained out of her. Liara barely stayed standing. She was afraid to open her eyes. Did I fail? She realized that she couldn't hear Samara shouting any more, nor the cracks of the lighting storm. She cracked open her eyes and gasped. Metal walls. A long hallway in front of her. She turned around. And the hatch. "I did it," Liara mumbled. She could scarcely believe it, even though it was happening. "I did it!" This is...this is incredible! The implications of such a thing. The new avenues opened up for research and our understanding of the universe…!

Liara shook her head. Not the time for this. She glanced around and found the emergency release for the hatch. Liara pulled it and stood back as the hatch groaned open. Viral and Samara waited just beyond. Despite her hopes, Viral didn't seem particularly impressed. He walked by her and said, "It seems your not at useless as I thought." For some reason, his backhanded comment actually made her a little happy.

Samara, on the other hand, was absolutely astonished. Liara actually didn't like it. To see a woman of her stature actually out of sorts was a little disturbing. Samara walked forward and stopped in front of Liara. She reached out and cupped one of Liara's cheeks gently. "How did you do that?"

"Are you angry?" Liara asked. Some asari matriarchs could be very touchy about being 'shown up.'

Samara laughed. "What are you talking about? That was absolutely astounding. Angry? My heart is bursting with pride. After absorbing that creature's insults, you proved that there is still unexplored depths to our abilities." Liara swelled with pride at her words. I did, didn't I? The asari can still grow.

"If you two are finished patting each other on the back," Viral said, "we've got company."

Liara spun around and saw that several mercenaries were charging down the hall at them. She jumped to the side and behind a strut while Samara stepped forward and flung out a violent biotic wave. The entire company was thrown off balance and most of them crashed to the ground. Viral was amongst them the next moment, doing the nasty things that he did. Liara took a few potshots as well, figuring that a bullet was slightly kinder than being ripped apart by Viral.

Once the first group of enemies was down, they advanced further into the ship. The Shadow Broker's ship was dimly lit and sparse. Seemed like it would be a terrible place to live and work. They were ambushed twice more as they moved through the ship but had no trouble dispatching the mercs, even with Liara laying off her biotics. They didn't have a map of the ship, of course, and the layout didn't match any ship Liara had ever been on before, so it came as a surprise when they went through one door and found what had to be the Shadow Broker.

Liara snapped up her gun instinctively at the sight of him. Not only was he big as a krogan, he was of a species that Liara had never seen before. He was seated at large desk, deep in shadow with several screens lit up behind him, so it was hard to make out much more than silhouette. But she could see two large, inwardly curving horns or antenna. He also had a triangular mouth full of sharp teeth. That sparked something in Liara's brain. I've seen something like him before.

"Doctor T'Soni, this was reckless," he said. His voice was deep and raw. "You're making a mistake."

"A mistake?" Liara asked, keeping her gun over him. "So you didn't send Vasir to kill me?"

"I did," the Shadow Broker conceded, "but you'd have been better served to run deep into asari territory rather than try and take me out in my own ship."

"I don't know," Viral said with a smirk. "Seems to be working out just fine for us."

The Shadow Broker reoriented on Viral and clasped his hands. "I don't know what you are, creature, and that vexes me. Rest assured, I will learn every secret that you possess."

"Your sorry mind would break if you knew a quarter of what I do," Viral snapped.

"Why did you said Vasir after me?" Liara asked, "What have I ever done to you?"

"It was a favor for a colleague," the Broker said with a shrug. "I thought it would be simple enough for Vasir. I did not expect her to be so foolish as to try it when the justicar was near."

"Who?" Liara demanded. Why would anybody want me dead?

"It doesn't matter. The knowledge will do you no good."

"You're going to tell me, whether you like it or not!" Liara snarled.

"It is pointless to challenge me, asari. I know your every move while you fumble in the dark," the Broker rumbled, not afraid in the least.

What a monster. The thought gave her another spark and she suddenly remembered an article she'd read several years ago. "You're a yahg, aren't you?" Liara asked. For the first time, the Broker didn't have a retort. That told Liara she was right. "A pre-spaceflight species," she continued. Now that she had remembered that article, the information was flowing back. "You were quarantined to your homeward after massacring the the Council's first contact teams." She glanced around and decided to pressure him further with some educated guesses. "This ship is older than your planet's discovery, so I'm guessing you killed the original Shadow Broker and took over." She cocked her head a smiled faintly. "So what...were you taken from your homeworld by a trophy hunter? Someone who wanted an exotic slave, maybe? A pet? How am I doing?"

The Shadow Broker silently stood up and Liara saw that he was, in fact, quite a bit larger than a krogan. Perhaps taunting him wasn't the best idea. The Broker let loose a bone-rattling roar and broke his own desk in half. Showing massive strength, the yahg threw each half of the desk with either arm. Liara instinctively put her hands up to protect herself but the veteran Samara calmly caught the pieces of the desk in a biotic field and flung them back at the yahg. They bounced off him and he didn't even flinch. Alright, I guess there was some reason for his arrogance.

Liara trained her machine gun on him and fired. The stream of fire hit true but his shield flared to life and soaked up the bullets. The Broker reached behind his back and pulled out a assault rifle. Liara quickly jumped behind a pillar as fire sawed through the area she was a moment before. Goddess, I think he is wielding that thing one-handed. Liara peeked around the pillar and saw Samara hit him with a broadside with her own rifle. The shield soaked up the damage again, though. Where did he get that thing? It seemed impenetrable to small arms. What are we going to do?

"Stop him for a moment," Viral said. Liara jumped, her heart nearly bursting from her chest. She hadn't had any idea he was next her. "If you stop him, I can get in and finish him from up close," Viral continued.

Liara thought about it. Based on what she'd seen of the shield, perhaps a melee attack would be the best bet. She'd been avoiding using her biotics since the warp but she could feel her powers were ready to be unleashed again. If anything, they felt stronger than ever. It was a little frightening, in fact. "Samara!" she called out. "Can you hold him in place for a moment?"

Samara didn't even question her. She stood and wrapped the Broker in a biotic field, paralyzing him. Viral rushed around the pillar and straight at the Broker. He punched the yahg in the face and then raked his claws across his face. The Broker lurched back, roaring in pain and breaking free of Samara's biotics. Viral fearlessly pressed forward, pounding on and tearing into the yahg. The Broker caught him though and flung him away. While he was in the air, the Broker trained his assault rifle on him and riddled Viral with bullets. Viral crashed to the ground, a mess of blood, bone and flesh that was hard to look at. Liara tried to stay rational. He'll be up in a minute or two. Still roaring, the Broker trained his assault rifle on Samara and let loose. The justicar was forced to duck down and the yahg began to advance toward her.

This bad. This is really bad. Some combination of the Broker's armor, shields and own tough constitution was preventing them from doing any real damage. Guns weren't working, getting in close was a recipe for disaster and Liara had a strong suspicion that splash damage with biotics wasn't going to accomplish a thing. That left Liara with only one option, an attack so heinous that asari almost never used it. It was also incredibly difficult to pull off, so few even tried. After her experience earlier, though, Liara felt like she could do anything. The only question was whether she had the stomach for it. She peeked around the corner and saw that the Broker was almost to Samara. Viral wasn't moving. Do it or they are going to die. Shepard wouldn't hesitate. Liara took a deep breath and then whispered, "Embrace eternity."

She stepped out, biotic power coursing through her. Liara felt like she could see right through the Broker, down to the very cells that comprised him. She reached out with one hand and began to corrupt those cells. Microscopic explosions tore the cells apart, starting in the center of his mass and spreading out in all directions. Liara thought of it like a chain of explosions. Each time one cell exploded, it set off every cell around it. Liara trembled with the effort but she kept expanding the range of the damage and soon the Broker stopped. He clearly didn't know what was happening but he sensed Liara behind him. The Broker spun and tried to lift his gun. Samara, quick as ever, wrapped him in a stasis field before he could. Already weakened, the yahg couldn't break free. Liara's stomach churned as she slowly but surely murdered the Broker. He opened his mouth and Liara feared he would beg for his life. Instead, he simply coughed up some blood and slumped in the stasis field. Liara felt the life go out of him.

Samara evidently did, too. She let go and the yahg fell. Liara let go as well and nearly fell over. She put a hand to her brow. What a taxing day. "What did you do to him?" Viral asked, startling her again.

Liara shook her head, unwilling to actually voice it. "I took care of him."

"She did what she had to do," Samara said, vaulting over the barrier she'd been hiding behind. "That was well done, Liara. I have never seen it done with such precision."

"Mm." Liara didn't feel like talking about it. She wandered away from the yahg and toward the glowing screens near the back of the room. Somebody was speaking. "Shadow Broker, this is Operative Murat. We had a momentary connection failure. Can you confirm status?"

Another voice asked, "Operative Shora requesting update. Are we still online?" And more and more and more, coming from every screen. Of course. Nobody knows what just happened. All they know is the Shadow Broker stopped responding. Liara's mind raced. The Shadow Broker had the best intelligence gathering operation in the galaxy. Nobody knew who the Shadow Broker really was. The yahg had proved that somebody new could assume the role with no one the wiser. If I can bluff my way through the next few minutes, we could take over the Shadow Broker's intelligence net! Liara couldn't think of a better way to gather the information Shepard would need. She tapped the communication screen and then spoke into it. As she expected, her voice was auto-modulated. "This is the Shadow Broker. The situation is under control. We experienced a power fluctuation while upgrading hardware. Resume standard procedures." Liara drummed her fingers silently. What else? "I want a status report on all operations within the next solar day." Hopefully that isn't too much. "Shadow Broker out." Liara closed communications on her end and sighed in relief.

"You've decided to become the Shadow Broker?" Samara asked. Her voice as emotionless as always but put Liara on the defensive for some reason.

"It seemed foolish to allow his information network to go to waste when we could use it to search for a way to fight the reapers."

"Not a bad idea, so long as you use it for that specific goal," Samara said. "But, otherwise, this is not an operation that should exist. This kind of power is inevitably corrupting. An asari would be especially dangerous."

A chill ran up Liara's spine at the implicit threat. "I understand what you mean but this is a special circumstance. A galactic threat."

"So it is." Liara turned away from her, feeling petulant. She opened up the Broker's files, surprised to see that they weren't even minimally secured. I guess the Broker couldn't even conceive of the idea that anyone else would be in position to see this. There was so much information. Just a quick scan told Liara that it would take weeks to go through it all. Naturally curious about her own species, Liara started with the profiles on high-level asari. It was a sickening shock for her to learn just how corrupt her own leaders were. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised but deep down, Liara had held the conviction that asari were more noble than the other species…

She was right in the middle of reading about the under-the-table dealings of the current asari Councillor when she heard a shout. She turned around quickly, which caused her to get light-headed. "What was that?" she asked, touching the side of her head with one hand.

Samara was sitting cross-legged nearby, evidently having been meditating. "I believe that it was Viral," she said.

"What could possibly scare or surprise a creature such as him?" Liara asked, eyes wide. The two asari nodded to each other and ran in the direction of the shout, guns drawn. They found him a little deeper into the ship. In a room that seemed to be some kind of trophy room for the Shadow Broker. There were statues, paintings, armor sets, guns, even some taxidermied animals. Including a krogan, which was just horrifying. Viral sitting and staring up at small statue on a pedestal. The statue was squat and boxy, what seemed to be a large frowning face sprouting short legs and arms. As Liara got closer, she realized that it might actually be a robot.

"What's wrong, Viral?" she asked, hooking her gun back to her hip.

"It's Lagann," he said softly. "After all this time…"

"Lagann?" Liara repeated awkwardly. She touched the hand of the robot. "This?"

"How is here?" Viral asked, clearly not really speaking to her. He got to his feet. "After all this time and all of these cycles? I thought that he destroyed it. Now I find it? On this ship in the middle of nowhere that I only came to by chance?" Viral abruptly punched the pedestal so hard that he broke his hand. Liara recoiled but Viral didn't even seem to notice. "What is this?! First Kamina and now Lagann. It could only be him. But why? What is he doing? What does he want?!" His anger drained out of him and Liara shuddered at the despair in his eyes. "I'm so tired of this. I don't want hope."

Liara's heart seized. What must he have been through to actually prefer despair to hope? "Viral," she said softly. "Who are you talking about? What is this thing?"

Viral finally seemed to see her. He lightly touched the foot of the robot, almost reverentially. "This is Lagann," he said. "The original vessel of Simon, the leader of the reapers."

Author's Notes

Dun dun dun!

This chapter has been sitting in my docs for a while now because I wasn't ever completely satisfied with with the Shepard parts but its been too long and I could tweak it forever. I didn't set out to make this a Shep/Garrus pairing but I couldn't resist. Shep/Garrus are my pairing in the game and one of the few fictional relationships I really care about. Still don't know what I'll end up doing with everybody else.

Next up is the assault on the collector's base. Look forward to it!

Kuragari