The Scientist
"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" Every sense became distorted through the barrier curtain blocking Liara off from the outside world, but she could have sworn she just heard movement from the upper mineshaft. The Prothean defense system forced her into a suspended state within the white tiled underground chamber, arms stuck straight out and legs unable to touch the floor. She could still see the inactive control panel only meters away, leaving her to silently curse her inability to reach it. Not even biotics managed to shake the advanced energy field that wrapped around her form. Liara was well and truly trapped at the bottom of an old mining facility. Certainly an ironic way for an archeologist to die: in an excavation site, surrounded by the artifacts she loved.
She let out an exhausted sigh. Her Omni-tool was inoperable if she couldn't touch it, which meant that even attempting to send out a distress signal from underground became impossible. What felt like at least a day passed since her attackers arrived, but she knew that the Krogan and his horde of Geth were too determined to leave without her.
Geth, of all things! They hadn't roamed outside the Perseus Veil since the fall of Rannoch, yet they appeared here for reasons she couldn't understand. Liara would find it fascinating if they weren't out for her blood in particular. But what motivated them to visit an empty planet like Therum?
She arrived at the Prothean site a handful of weeks ago after finally gaining clearance from the Alliance, and to her knowledge she was the only person currently interested in this area. She could think of no rivals with a reason to sabotage her, and no valuable artifacts were left behind to salvage either.
That Krogan mercenary barged into her camp without warning, demanding she come along with him. Liara had of course refused, only to have Geth soldiers sicced on her. She abandoned her research tent, pistol lost in the chaos, and fled into the mining facility as they fired at her. In her haste to find shelter, she misread the controls and locked herself in one of the site's many bunkers. And while neither the Geth nor the Krogan knew how to turn it off or break through to harm her, that still left her in this awkward position. Either she died of dehydration in safety, or the mercenary would eventually force his way in.
Gunfire filtered down from the mine's upper levels, startling her out of such depressing thoughts. That noise wasn't her imagination, then. She couldn't turn her head much to investigate, but the noise instilled a sense of hope. Perhaps a colleague from the University of Serrice noticed her lack of communication and sent a rescue team! Or a passing patrol fleet picked up on the high activity levels. Anyone with good intentions would be welcomed.
The closest service elevator, damaged by the Geth during her escape, squealed under the weight of its new occupants. It gave out with an impressive display of sparks, allowing three armored individuals to climb the rest of the way down via the broken metal catwalks. Another casualty from earlier. She struggled to see them in the corner of her vision, but they weren't the ones that chased her. Acceptable for her desperate standards.
"Over here!" she called again. The heavy footsteps quickened. A different Krogan in red armor walked in front of the barrier, followed by a female Quarian, then a helmeted figure in a darker hardsuit marked with a red stripe running down one shoulder. She took a moment to read the insignia on their chestplate, but only recognized it as an Earth script. Human, then. "Oh, thank the Goddess… Please, I've been trapped in this device for hours on end. I just need your help disarming it." The helmeted soldier lowered their, or her, rifle and took a moment to study her through the barrier.
"...Are you working with Matriarch Benezia?" the Human asked, voice compressed by the helmet's filters.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what my mother has to do with this..." Why would they begin such a strange question? "There's another Krogan in here with a large amount of Geth! I attempted to hide and tripped the wrong security protocol when I locked him out, but he'll be back soon." Liara's hands flared with built up energy, which once again did nothing to budge the makeshift prison. She let her biotics fade before she used up too much precious stamina. The red Krogan turned to the human.
"Looks like Saren wants her after all. You think it's still a trick?" he asked. Who was Saren? The human's shoulders rose.
"I really don't know anymore…" Liara did her best to lock eyes with the one that she thought served as the leader.
"All I need is for you to find a way past the barrier, the control panel to shut it off is right behind me. Please, I promise this isn't a trap…" The human stared back, but then nodded.
"I'll see what we can do." A wave of relief struck her. "Tali, any way we can crack this thing open from our side?" The Quarian keeled by the bunker and ran her Omni-tool over the rest of its architecture. She stood back up and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, there's not a single access panel in reach…" she answered. "I can't find a wireless network to infiltrate either. The system is completely internalized."
"Hm. Control panel it is, then. Let's look for a way around"-
"We've got company, Shepard!" The Krogan leveled his gun and sprayed shots at the approaching Geth forces.
"Take them out, Wrex! Tali, back us up!" The human crouched to avoid the return volley of energy blasts, raising a sniper rifle to her eyeshield. The Geth's ammo exploded across the barrier without piercing it, though the close call made Liara yelp.
"Be careful, I am still not sure where their leader is!" she said in a rush. She watched the three work their way to the mining facility's bedrock floor, pushing the mercenary's forces back with surprising efficiency. The Quarian swapped between hacking enemy units and stripping shields away with a pistol, while the Krogan bore down on the Geth with his assault rifle. The leader continued to call out orders as she joined the fight, disabling incoming machines with shots in the "head" and chest area. If the mob of Geth soldiers and drones intimidated her, Liara couldn't tell by listening to her level headed commands or watching the steadiness of her hands. This had to be a military team, right?
The fighting ceased, her rescuers emerging victorious. The one named Shepard turned to Liara again.
"I'll be back. Just need to see what we can use around here." The human hopped down from her perch to explore. "Spread out and look for a way in!" Liara lost track of them, leaving her to wait and pray they wouldn't be killed or simply choose to abandon her. No, she needed to stay positive. They seemed capable, and surely there'd be another method of reaching her. This site looked expansive…
A faint humming from below caught Liara's attention, like a ship's thrusters warming up. She listened more intently. What in the name of Athame was-
A powerful blast rocked the entire Prothean structure, sending stone crumbling down from the walls and ceiling. The explosion conveniently covered the terrified noise she made in response, at least. Liara's heart hadn't recovered by the time the human and her team reappeared, this time from directly behind.
"What did you just trigger?" she exclaimed as Shepard entered the bunker first. Tali headed over to the panel next, opening the defense controls.
"Found a little extra firepower in an old mining laser," Shepard said, as if that were an obvious action to take. Did humans ritually employ explosives to work around problems? "It took a few tries, but I broke the lock and cut open a tunnel. It's all good." The human gave her a hand sign that involved sticking a thumb up. Liara remained confused.
"So this is a Prothean Ruin, huh?" Wrex said from somewhere out of her sight. "Sterile white everywhere. Not what I'd call homey."
"I would have been driven insane years ago if the Floatilla looked like this…" Tali mumbled, before she gasped. "Oh, I think I figured it out! Hold on." She must've deciphered the controls, because the energy barrier fizzled out moments later. Liara dropped to her knees in front of Shepard, wheezing from the impact. Her biotic aura flared instinctively from the hours of suppression, then receded as she regained her bearings. That felt so much better. The human flinched but didn't back away from her either. Instead, Shepard offered a hand.
"Thank you," Liara said. She accepted the help and allowed Shepard to pull her to her feet. The strength in just the human's arm caught her off guard. Her legs almost buckled again, but she regained her balance.
"...Are you sure you're alright?" Shepard asked, head tilting to the side.
"I'm merely out of practice standing, no need to worry." While weakened from her hours in suspension, her muscles would recover soon enough. "I believe there is a Prothean elevator that will take us back to the surface, since the other one is broken." Her foresight in translating all the directions left behind in the ruins paid off. As she moved to point it out, Shepard shook her head.
"Before we leave, I still need you to tell me about your connection with Benezia. She's currently working with a rogue Spectre, the same one that likely sent the Geth after you."
Liara couldn't believe it. They may have disagreed on interests and priorities years ago, but Benezia was never cruel in her memory. Her mother willingly worked with a traitor? And tried to hurt her? No, it failed to add up. Something was horribly wrong. The idea that Liara might be part of this madness by pure association cut her deeper than expected. She rarely felt anger, but all the built up shock and stress tipped her right over the edge.
"I am nothing like my mother." Perhaps it sounded cold, but this strange line of questioning made her feel like a criminal and Liara refused to be marked as one by complete strangers. "I haven't spoken to her in years. If she's truly involved with what you claim, then she did not contact me about any of it." But if this human spoke the truth, Liara couldn't help but worry. Her irritation abandoned her as quickly as it arrived. "This is… difficult for me to believe. Benezia is not the type to resort to such violent methods." The human looked off to the side and touched her neck.
"I'm not trying to make a judgment, but"- Shepard had to stop when the entire facility rumbled again. This time, the vibrations felt far deeper in origin. "Uh, what was that?"
"Can we take this talk somewhere else?" Wrex cut in, his face set in a snarl. "Before this cave falls on our heads."
"The mining laser!" Liara's eyes widened. Therum was a geologically active planet with multiple close faultlines. "It must have triggered a seismic event, which could start a volcanic eruption!" She hurried to the circular platform. "We need to reach the entrance level!" The Krogan and Quarian found the platform next, followed by Shepard. The human radioed someone named Joker to pick them up while Liara fumbled to activate their way out.
Despite her shaking hands, the lift started up, and the Prothean technology ascended faster and smoother than expected. It jerked to a quiet halt once it reached the top, only to reveal the Krogan mercenary and a small squad of well armored Geth troops positioned at the exit. He'd cornered them.
"Give it up, you're not slipping away from me this time," the Krogan said. He bared his teeth in an unsettling grin. "Or we can have some fun." The cavern shook a third time.
"Shit…" Shepard said. She took a step forward. "We don't have time for this! You're willing to get buried alive just to finish a job?"
"Oh, it won't take long to kill you," he replied, motioning to one of the Geth. The larger, red plated machine lifted a rocket launcher. Liara became acutely aware of her flimsy research outfit with minimum shield capabilities. "Get rid of them." It pulled the trigger. Shepard tackled her to the side, sending them both sprawling behind a metal barrier. The rocket sailed overhead to explode against the far wall. The human stood in time to aim her sniper rifle at the culprit, firing off a shot as another rocket launched. It hit Shepard in the chest, throwing her back a few feet. The shock trooper sparked from the bullet hole in its chassis and dropped its weapon, only for another Geth to take it out of commission with a burst of its rifle.
"Hacked one!" Tali called from behind a crate. The Krogan charged towards them, but Wrex's biotics grabbed and tossed a Geth sniper into his path with a resounding crash.
"Hey, you two alive back there?" he asked. Liara watched the human's unmoving form sprawled out on the platform with wide eyes until she shifted and sat up. A dark mark marred the front of her hardsuit. Shepard coughed and covered the spot with an arm, triggering a sigh of relief from Liara.
"We're fine." Shepard rejoined the fight. The rest of the Geth were gunned down while the Krogan detangled his limbs from his own ally.
"Good. Don't make me do all the work around here!" Wrex struck the mercenary with what Liara recognized as a strong Lift maneuver, hoisting him off his feet to float helplessly.
"Let me down, coward!" he roared, firing his rifle in the wrong direction. Wrex chuckled even as his arms shook from the strain of holding an entire Krogan up. Shepard and Tali silenced him with a combined volley of gunfire, letting Wrex drop the body after. Metal catwalks and abandoned machinery fell over during another strong quake, a reminder of their fast approaching time limit.
"Back to the entrance tunnel!" Shepard yelled over the now constant shaking. They broke out into a sprint across the crumbling facility, dodging fallen support beams and stone in a race to the stairs. Liara forced herself to ignore her body's protests and hurried to keep up. Platforms broke down meters behind them, threatening them with a deadly drop. Shepard began to lag until she matched Liara's pace. "Come on, we can make it!" The human pushed her towards safety, and she stumbled down the tunnel. Shepard jumped the widening gap when the final catwalk gave way and landed beside her.
The entire ruin fell in on itself with a deafening boom by the time they emerged onto Therum's surface. A silver and black starship hovered low in the sky, searching for a landing zone. Its hull marked it as the SR1 Normandy, the red streak matching Shepard's armor.
"Get to the ship on the double, I'll secure the Mako!" The human split off from their group to run further down the hill.
"It's about time!" Wrex said. He suddenly scooped Liara up under one arm, forcing her to cling to him for stability. "Sorry, Doc. This is faster." He and Tali ran to meet the frigate as it landed with an open hangar. Wrex refused to set her back down until they were up the ramp and securely in the garage, where more human soldiers waited with weapons at the ready. A plume of lava burst from the ground outside, sending a wave of heated air towards them.
"Buckle up back there!" The ship's speakers came to life with a warning. The frigate took off and flew ahead to chase a bulky six wheeled tank speeding across the rapidly degrading terrain. That must be the vehicle Shepard retrieved. "Unless you wanna kiss the Mako, clear off the ramp!" The ship turned and descended in time for the Mako to board without losing much speed. It screeched to a sharp, ungraceful stop in the garage, releasing red Therum dust that clung to its entire frame. The hangar automatically secured itself, closing its hatch. "Getting a little too hot for us to stick around, Commander…" the voice complained. Commander sounded like a fairly high military rank, even if Liara knew nothing of their organization structure. The Mako's door lifted before Shepard half leapt and half fell out, still bracing her chest like earlier.
"Yeah, chalk that up to the volcanoes. Bring us into orbit, Joker!" By the Goddess, that was the pilot speaking so flippantly?
"Don't have to tell me twice." The starship ascended from the danger zone, leveling out once it shot past Therum's upper atmosphere. Liara stayed rooted to a solid bench until everything ceased rattling. One of the humans, a male if she guessed by his face and voice, walked over to greet her.
"Welcome aboard the SSV Normandy, Dr. T'Soni. You're in Alliance hands now," he said with an amicable smile. A mercifully easy expression to read compared to many other species. "Do you mind if I run a simple medical check?"
A Turian, another unexpected sight on a human dominated crew, approached the Mako to examine its state. He touched the hull where it appeared blackened and warped, then shook his head in defeat.
"Spirits, this'll take a while to repair... How'd you manage to melt the plating this much, Commander?" he asked.
"I might have skimmed a lava pool or two," Shepard said. She claimed the bench beside Liara's and started adjusting her helmet.
"More like almost fell into them," the Quarian corrected her. "I thought we'd all sink before we reached the facility..."
"Ah, give her a break. She did take a rocket to the gut out there." Wrex dropped his guns near a locker and stretched. The soldier taking care of Liara glanced up from his scanning at that reveal.
"Commander, maybe you should visit the Medical Bay…" Shepard's helmet depressurized with a soft hiss before it came off.
"Chakwas can have me after debriefing, Lieutenant," she said, setting it down beside her. "Flooded my suit with Medigel after the hit. I think my shields absorbed the worst part." Liara stared at the now exposed soldier, vaguely aware of the blood that rushed to her face. She had seen images of humanity before this trip, of course. Both for educational purposes and in entertainment. Her people found human culture fascinating, most likely due to their superficial likeliness. Liara never desired to seek them out in person, yet…
Her mind ground to a halt without asking permission, taking in the contour running from Shepard's cheek to her jawline. Her dark hair, disrupted from her headwear, fell back into place when a casual hand ran through it. It settled around chin length and hid her ears behind a curtain of black. Asari skin tones ranged from a light blue to a deeper violet, but humans displayed many variations of tan or brown, often growing hair beyond the scalp-crest and brow area. Shepard made a stronger contrast with the rough-shaven Lieutenant beside Liara. Her complexion was darker and smoother than his, with only a few black marks visible. The Commander's lips, a darker pink color, parted with a smile while her subordinate attempted to change her mind. She had an off-white bandage stuck to her under one eye, leaving Liara to wonder what injury it covered.
"Okay team, drop your stuff and regroup at the Comm Room in fifteen minutes," Shepard ordered. Her violet eyes fell on the Asari scientist with the same intensity that she looked at everything else, but Liara felt as if they scrutinized her in particular. She blinked and made a conscious effort to look away. The crew guide her into an elevator without a word of protest. She felt overwhelmed in multiple ways.
Exactly what kind of operation was she now entangled with?
AN: This sort of brings the first arc of Mass Effect 1 to its conclusion, so updates will probably slow for a bit. I hope Liara came off well, since I've decided that I want to stick with either her or Shepard's perspectives for this story.