Chapter 25

"Goto," Casnar sat up after opening his eyes from feeling hands around his neck, and he spun off the chair to face the back, startling James and his mug of tea—which he juggled in his hands, blowing out when the hot liquid inside sloshed onto his fingers.

She gauzed into visibility at the head of the long chair, smiling from under her hood, "….Sensitive," she ran a gloved-finger over the top of the framing cushion, "….Guess he only likes certain women's hands on his big neck—"

"I don't mind it when a pretty woman touches me," Casnar straightened, smoothing down his suit and collar from being ruffled by his leap, "….but she has to be welcome to do so….and besides," he grinned, standing and motioning for the asari as she gestured to the table of tereshae, his having dropped, "….though flattered, I'm nearly taken, Goto."

James sat up from the back of his long chair and set aside his mug of tea, wiping off his hands as the asari had taken the mug and had a towelette waiting….He thanked her, then to Kasumi, "….What have you been up to since you left with Shepard?"

"'Shopping'," she had propped herself with a hand against the long chair's back, one palm on her waist as she coolly, collectedly appraised the shop, a flick of something moving behind her like a tail—a cape that had added itself to her wardrobe since she'd left the Luminos….Casnar took another tereshae leaf from the asari to make a fresh roll for himself, "….I saw who Shepard's with….and I left a tracker on her myself."

"Liara?"

Kasumi nodded once, then her hood twisted with her face under its protection, and to the asari by Casnar, "….Do you mind if we have some privacy in your lovely shop?…." The asari left them to their conversation….While Casnar lit a new roll, Kasumi wound her way between the chairs and behind Casnar's back, who glanced brusquely behind him to keep an eye on Kasumi and watch out for wandering fingers, "….Relax, Casnar…." She brushed by without touching him to stand with James, Casnar having rolled his eyes at her assuagement and stepped away to leave some distance between he and the master thief, "….She met up with Liara and they took a skyrunner out of the city…." Kasumi lowered her voice for James to hear, and Casnar who tried to listen while acting aloof, "….They went off-grid, likely to one of Liara's 'secret' little holds in the mountain….You want to surprise them?"

"Hell yes!…." James stood, "….But can we?…." Though he appeared ready, he was uncertain that going to find his commander would be probable.

Kasumi's hood turned with her face to Casnar, "….I don't think she would like it," he pulled a puff from his roll and spoke with some floral fumes coming out his nostils, blue and wispy in the air, rising over his smooth crests of gold, "….but I am curious to meet her Asari friend….She said I'm going to see what she does—"

"Who," Kasumi turned her shoulders and feet to face him, "….Liara?…."

"Braith…." He looked at her as though she had accosted him, not knowing that Liara was the Shadow Broker in current time, and such a statement would be unbelievable to Kasumi.

"Then it's decided," Kasumi's cape, hanging from her shoulders, flicked-up like a pert feline tail to wrap like a swathe around her chest and shoulders, "….I'm driving."

Braith and Liara waited for their eyes to adjust before moving farther into the lair in the mountain ridge, "….You've got to lighten up this place," a thick cloud of steam surrounded Braith's face as she spoke and moved through this, casting her gaze about the entry to the cavernous space, and thankful for Liara's gift in coldwear, Braith flexing her hands in the gloves to keep her fingers warm with bloodflow, "….This place competes with that lair we searched with Grunt on Utukku."

"It's not that bad," Liara pouted, unseen for her collar covered her lips, "….This way, Shepard," her voice somewhat muffled, "….There is a platform that will take us deeper down," and Braith followed Liara through the dim length of the tunnel towards it….They walked aside each other, the width of the place plentiful for two—and more—to walk abreast. Raising her arm and lifting her sleeve out of the way—the coat was that large, Liara could move it loosely along the length of her limbs—she entered a command to an omnitool at her wrist, one to call the platform doors open, "….Javik will be lower with her," she brought her sleeve down again, "….I don't know what you'll think when you meet Kina, Shepard, but I'm looking forward to your reaction when you do."

"I'm having lots of apprehensions, Liara."

She had a small, close-lipped laugh in store for Braith, "….That's understandable….She won't have anything to worry about from you, will she?"

"Only if this 'Reaper' you found has no intention of harming us….Do you and Javik ever let anyone else in here…." Braith looked over the interior of the platform-cabin they entered, feeling it warmer, and removing her gloves in the heat let out by the doors that had opened to welcome them.

The doors opened and closed with a surprisingly gentle glide and hiss compared to the main entrance, "….No," Liara's voice was soft inside the cabin space, as though "muffed" by ear protectors or a helmet, "….only you now," and she started to remove her own gloves.

Braith looked over at her, the lighting consistently dim even there in the platform's cabin, "….You sure keeping this Reaper alive is a good idea?"

"I don't know, Shepard," Liara's voice thoughtful, "….but she's very different from Reapers you think of."

"I've thought of a lot, and I can say they're all abominations…." The platform descended deeper into the mountain….Braith checked the levels apparent on a panel above the doors, the descent felt distinctly through her body as she stood on the floor with Liara, waiting….She turned to her, "….Hard for me to accept that one survived….You said she left Harbinger with others?"

"We don't know what happened to them," Liara bobbed her head with a nod, "….but I'll bet Javik has learned by now…." The platform slowed its descent, stopped completely and opened the doors….Their shoes made echoes as they stepped into a new chamber, equally as vast as the first….Liara raised her voice, "….Javik—Shepard's here."

They heard him deeper-in, "I am with Kina….Bring yourselves to my voice."

"You moved her, Javik…." Braith saw Liara walk ahead a few steps before falling into motion behind her….Javik's form distinguished itself with its upright stride, flared shoulders, as he came from the dimness ahead in a dark uniform, Liara and Braith heading to join him halfway through the chamber.

The prothean went straight for Braith, "….Commander Shepard," he grasped her hand as Braith had waved, not intending to make contact—for the prothean had a "propensity" for reading people's lives through specialized sensors in his fingertips and palms….Before Braith could tell him not to touch her, his long fingers wrapped firmly around her hand, and Javik released it after a few seconds, Braith's expression souring into that of annoyance, "….You've been with another Drell intimately," his thick, deep, resonating voice was more than intrigued, "….Does your favored-mate know of him?…." From her right, Liara stared in bewilderment at Braith.

With a hiss through her teeth, "….Javik, could we talk about personal matters later, preferably not in front of certain 'Shadow Brokers'?"

The prothean released an irrepressible chuckle through the clover-split of his mouth, "….You are sensitive about fornicating with multiple partners, Shepard….When my people ruled, it was acceptable to indulge in multiple pairings, even while disposed towards a singular mate, and with multiple species at the same time….It even helped attenuate relationships with 'preferred lovers'."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Isn't it…." Javik looked at Liara, who blinked at him and looked at Braith.

"Can we introduce Shepard and Kina, Javik?"

He looked over at Braith again, "….She may shock you, Commander Shepard….If I could share with your primitively 'evolved' form, crudely fitting the 'mold' of most superior, acceptable life forms, you would be astonished by what she has been through—and lives."

"Astonishingly," Braith stood between him and Liara, "….I'm not able to share your enthusiasm over a living reaper….and frankly I'm surprised by you, Javik…." He gave her a grim smile. Javik turned and led them farther into the chamber, Braith able to see a few tables and chairs—until a barrier appeared as they had passed through it, causing the screen to buzz all about them….A lab was revealed, dim lighting still the ambience, and Braith could see two rooms at the end of it, made of constructed panels and furnishings….She looked at Liara, "….You sleep where you work?…." The décor was simple and sparse.

Liara smiled, "….Once in a while even I must rest, Shepard, but it's more for rare guests….We expect you to stay over a day….Here, turn this way," she was peering left—passed Braith's shoulder.

Javik moved ahead, having turned in the same direction Braith was going at Liara's instruction….She had not noticed there was a place to turn, and walk into, what with the nature of the organic chamber where rock hid openings and created the illusion of walls where more spaces existed….Though for their particular turning, there was to be found only a large face of rock, cast with the shadows from its irregular projections so hit by the dim lighting Braith could equate with "aquarium fishtanks"….Braith stopped before the wall, confused by their choosing to go towards it, and looked questioningly about the dark, bluish prominences, illuminated by the pen-lamps overhead and installed on racks….For a second or two, she presumed it was a "camouflage barrier" as the previous one through which they had recently passed, "….What am I supposed to be doing here," she looked to Liara, who nodded at the wall….so Braith squinted at it again.

The wall moved….Part of it "detached".

Braith's mouth opened in a soundless gasp.

"Is that her?…." Words finally came out.

"Commander Shepard," Javik held his hand that he had used to grasp Braith's to the wall-piece that had detached itself, "….stay silent and still while I introduce you to Kina," and by introduce, he would take his hand and press it to one forming "free" of the rock-wall, a strangely-flat silhouette now standing apart and on its own, but were one to look at it from aside the wall, would see its multitude of dimensions in structure….It had form, but was not Human, not like anything Braith would associate to a drell or any of the reaper's abominations she had seen in her career….She saw the hand press into Javik's own palm and fingers, the form of rock-wall growing more present and real as it came out from the recess to hold onto Javik, "….This is Commander Braith Shepard, Kina….Only a minor introduction to the human of legend."

"Ah," Braith's tone was flat, "….you're complimenting me, Javik…." She was trying to understand what she was looking at….Two black pools of "eyes" opened beside each other in the air, passing a long stare at Braith.

Someone's voice roared through her thoughts, intruding forcefully into Braith's head, ….Where is my love….

"I don't…." Braith staggered backwards into Liara, making a groan as she tried to extricate herself from the force inside her head, squeezing and digging like millions of hands, "….I don't know….who….you want…."