Thank you for reading and sticking with me as I hit chapter 100! No idea how much more there is, since we only just started ME3 content, but I am committed to finishing.

As they left the cargo bay where the Prothean had taken up residence, Liara looked shell-shocked.

"Maybe new people make him defensive," Shepard suggested.

Liara gave her a look. "He's not defensive. He's offensive. He takes pleasure in it."

"Well, you heard him. The Protheans considered themselves the superior race, and everyone who didn't go along with them was … eliminated."

"It sounds so bloodthirsty!"

"He was the product of a culture that had been fighting the Reapers for hundreds of years." Shepard looked unhappily down at her boots. "Do you think we can hold out for hundreds of years? And who do you think we'll become in the process?"

"I think we're going to finish the Crucible and we won't have to," Liara said grimly.

"Still."

"He might be exaggerating," Liara offered.

"You've studied his culture. Is he exaggerating?"

"The length of the war? No."

"Didn't think so."

Liara sighed. "When we saw that stasis pod, I was so excited, thinking of everything I could learn. Instead …"

"Were you, though?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I think what you wanted was for him to confirm what you already thought you knew. Now you have this entirely different perspective—think what you could learn."

"But he's a soldier!"

"So am I."

After a few moments, Liara said, "I think I need some time to … think."

"Take as much as you need. He's not going anywhere."

Liara mumbled something at that, and Shepard let her go, taking the elevator up to the command deck.

In the cockpit, Joker swiveled his chair around to look at her. "Shepard, come on. A real live Prothean? What, you couldn't bring a Reaper on board?"

"It wouldn't fit."

He smiled. "Has Liara stopped bouncing yet? I'm guessing there may have been some bouncing."

"There was. But he's … not quite what she expected."

"He couldn't be, could he? She'd want him to be a genius and a philosopher and a poet and handsome as all get-out, all in one. Nobody could live up to what she wanted."

Shepard looked at him in surprise, not having expected Joker to have such a clear perspective on the situation. "Good point. I've scheduled an announcement—can you make sure it gets broadcast at each mess? I want the crew to keep this to themselves for … a while, at least."

"Yeah, no problem."

In the starboard lounge, she found Garrus and Vega playing a lazy game of Skyllian 5, while Emily looked on and offered advice. Mostly, she seemed to be helping Garrus win by distracting Vega, but it was hard to tell if she meant to do that or if it was just a side effect.

"Hey, Lola," Vega called. "Never a dull moment, eh?"

"I've seen a lot of crazy things on the Normandy, Shepard," Garrus agreed, deftly shuffling the cards. "But this does take the cake."

James picked his cards up and studied them, grinning. "Doc must be over the moon."

"You could say that."

"Why should she—" Emily began. "Oh, yes. About the biggest story in fifty thousand years that I am in no way allowed to talk about." She gave Shepard a mock glare.

"Hey, don't look at me. Do you want half the galaxy chasing us down—not to mention Cerberus—looking for him?"

Emily sighed. "Probably not."

"You can interview him once we're sure it's safe, I promise."

"I'll hold you to it."

"Hell of a thing," Garrus remarked as he rearranged the cards in his hand. "Waking up to find that everything you know has been destroyed. But I imagine the chance to get some payback is consolation."

"He seems quite fond of the concept of vengeance," Shepard agreed.

"What do you suppose he eats, anyway? What if it's boiled asari with a side of fried turian?" He watched James play a card, frowning a bit before he pulled a card from his own hand. "Because I don't know about Liara, but I'm not taking that one for the team."

"Come on, Scars, have some sense of team loyalty."

"Let's see your team loyalty when someone wants to fry one of your toes for lunch."

James chuckled, sweeping up the hand and starting to shuffle. "I bet the Illusive Man's boiling in his brandy right now. Lola took that Prothean right out from under him."

"Yeah, he's not going to be happy. I suspect he'll want some payback."

"Maybe if he gets too close we could freeze you for fifty thousand years, Shepard. You could go from being merely famous to legendary."

"I'll stick with famous, thanks."

"You don't know what you're missing."

Thinking of Javik down in the cargo bay, dealing with the sudden loss of everything he had ever known, Shepard shook her head. "I don't want to miss any of it. That's the point."

Garrus looked up at her. "It's a good point, Shepard. I don't want you to miss any of it, either."