Chapter Five – The Legacy of War
Liara awoke with her head against Jules' shoulder, as she had done every day for decades.
Today though she wasn't lying on a table, she was covered by a soft quilt rather than a leather jacket and the air that touched the exposed parts of her skin didn't send a chill right through to her bones.
She could hear the soft, steady breathing that told her Jules was still asleep and so she lay still and decided to revel in the moment.
They had both slept in clean clothes, the mattress beneath them was actually comfortable and as she nuzzled her nose gently against Jules' skin she realised it smelled of soap for the first time in… well, longer than she could remember. Not that she had ever been aware of Jules smelling unpleasant, in fact the heady, human scent she was so used to was still there, merely diluted by jasmine and cherry blossom.
Beneath the sheets, Liara's hand rested on the exposed skin of Jules' abdomen where her top had ridden up through the night. She slid her fingers smoothly across the flat stomach and up to the ribs that were more prominent than they once had been.
It was a body Liara knew every inch of, even better than her own, and it had changed over the years. For a long time now she had watched as Jules wasted away, as her face became gaunt and her smile faded; but perhaps now that would change. Perhaps the rosy glow would return to her cheeks and she would walk without staggering from muscle ache and joint pain. Even if nothing else good came of their return it would still be worth it for that.
As the moments drifted by, Liara raised a hand to a stray lock of hair that had come loose from Jules' braid and coiled it loosely through her fingers. The previously dry and coarse strands were now soft to the touch and they had regained their vivid shades of red which almost seemed to sparkle in the dim light of the cabin.
Liara smiled as she brushed the lock aside and waited contentedly.
Eventually Jules stirred, shifted slightly on the bed, stretched one arm above her head and then grimaced and swore irritably.
"Ah, fuck!" she muttered, wincing slightly.
"Is your back still troubling you?" Liara asked gently.
"Mm," she winced again, arching her back so she could massage it at the base of her spine, "all this time sleeping on that table, I think suddenly switching to a soft mattress has actually made it worse."
"It'll be better in the long run," Liara told her.
"Typical asari, always planning ahead," Jules grunted in mock annoyance, making Liara smile as the human struggled onto her side, "Jesus, my head, what the hell was I drinking last night?"
"I don't know. I think you said Grunt gave it to you."
"Urgh," she moaned and buried her head against Liara's neck, apparently under the impression that it would help.
Liara cradled her for a while, gently tucking back some of the loose strands of hair that had been made untidy through the night until Jules pulled away and blinked at her sleepily.
"Are you okay?"
"I think so," she agreed, "although… part of me wishes we were still on the Normandy."
Jules smiled and wrinkled her nose, "In the cold, and the grime, and the stale air?"
"With no one around to trouble us," Liara added, letting a hint of apprehension slip into her tone which she knew Jules would pick up on.
Liara was no longer the shy archaeologist that Jules had first met two hundred years ago, but that didn't mean she enjoyed being the centre of attention. She had never been social, certainly not outside her closest friends anyway and Jules was the only close friend she had left these days. She had tolerated living in a city when she had been on Illium but even then her focus on her work had managed to keep her fairly isolated.
During and after the war her work had again been her priority, most of it going unnoticed or being credited to Jules instead, which was exactly how Liara had liked it. The life of a recluse had turned out to suit her perfectly but she wondered if she hadn't let it go on too long. Now that their return to civilisation was imminent she was finding the thought more daunting than she had expected.
Jules was tracing lines across Liara's lips, watching the frown of her brow as though she could read Liara's thoughts through it, "You know, we haven't actually agreed to help Tevos yet," she murmured softly, a playful smile twitching at the corners of her mouth, "we could always steal another ship and run away again… this one's nice. Could keep us going for another hundred years at least."
Liara relaxed a little and returned the smile softly, "Somehow I don't think Grunt would sit back and let you take his ship, and there are a lot of asari on board. That's a lot of biotics to deal with."
Jules laughed, "You saw them when we attacked them in the CIC, they didn't even dare raise a barrier against us. We're the heroes of the Reaper War!" she said it dramatically, a sparkle in her bright, turquoise eyes that hid her true feelings. Jules didn't like being the centre of attention either.
"How do you feel about seeing Earth again?" Liara asked after a while. There was a long pause while Jules continued to study the outline of her mouth rather than make eye contact.
"I don't know. It'll be strange I suppose, it must have changed a lot since we last saw it."
Liara was similarly conflicted. She and Jules had both lived on Earth for decades after the war, it had become as much of a home to her as Thessia had ever been. They had both been hugely involved in the rebuilding though even by the time they had left, the planet still bore the scars of war. Liara wondered how well it had recovered over the past century.
She must have been frowning again as Jules suddenly leaned in to kiss her on the nose, "Cheer up, there's no point worrying before we even get there."
Liara smiled, she knew Jules was right but she was given little time to dwell on it as the human hooked a leg over her thigh and drew her in even closer. Jules' mouth was on hers and she tasted warm breath and lips that were dry and cracked but no less gentle than they had always been. She laughed softly as Jules pulled away and pushed her back against the pillows.
"Juliet, what are you doing?"
Jules smiled devilishly and leaned in towards her neck, "Taking advantage of a mattress with springs."
…
No one came to wake them so they got up only when they were tired of lying down. With soft pillows beneath them, a thick quilt over them and the warmth of each other's bodies they did not tire quickly, but they both knew they couldn't avoid facing the asari crew forever.
Despite being the cleanest they had been in months they both showered again – just for the novelty – and dressed in the clothes that had been provided.
Jules let her hair dry loose. All this time without attention meant that the strands now grew more than halfway down her back and fanned out to swamp her in a mane of chestnut red that contrasted so strikingly with her gleaming turquoise eyes that even Liara was momentarily taken aback.
Her transformation didn't go unnoticed by the crew either. As they walked into the mess hall there were two groups of asari enjoying breakfast and both their conversations suddenly broke off when Jules entered, only for urgent whispering and sideways glances to take its place instead.
Jules seemed not to mind as she smiled at them and led Liara to the far corner. But as she sat she breathed out heavily and turned to mutter something to Liara under her breath: "How long until we reach Earth?"
…
Twelve days was the answer. Twelve days spent getting used to being on a ship with other people again. Of eating while young asari were trying to make conversation. Of turning a corner and having to make eye-contact with a crew member.
Needless to say, Liara was not enjoying the adjustment.
In fact, there were several times she found herself ducking out of view when one or more of the asari appeared and staying concealed until they passed. It wasn't fear that was motivating her, she just didn't wish to talk to them. Especially since the conversations were mostly tedious and served no purpose.
Liara was not adept at talking about nothing. 'Small talk' as the humans used to call it. There had been very few people in Liara's life whom she actually enjoyed having meaningless conversations with, and only one of them was still alive.
Ironically, she found that being alone on the ship brought the same unease as when she was in a room full of people and so at nights she returned to Jules and they talked about nothing.
As much as Jules was trying to pretend she was miserable and put out by the whole situation, Liara could tell that part of her had missed having a crew of admirers to hang on her every word. There had been several times she had found Jules surrounded by a group of asari as she regaled them with some hugely embellished tale from the war or its aftermath.
Jules was never the hero of her own stories though, instead she spoke of Garrus or Tali or other friends they had fought beside. Sometimes she even treated her eager audience to stories about Grunt and the endless problems he'd caused her in his youth.
There had been no conversations with old members of the crew either, Liara had noticed, it seemed that being surrounded by living people again had driven the dead away. She couldn't pretend not to be happy about that, and a little relieved.
With each day that passed Jules seemed to relax a little and her eyes gleamed with a little more life. Liara could tell that some small, rebellious part of her was warming to the idea of returning to civilisation.
Then the twelve day journey ended as they entered the Sol System and all of a sudden the whole thing started to seem a bit more real.
…
Earth.
Jules tried not to display any reaction as she gazed down at her home world through the windows of the mess. She hadn't been born there, she hadn't grown up there and for the majority of her life she hadn't lived there.
And yet, as the planet came into view, she couldn't help but feel a sting of emotion behind her eyes and she knew the audible hitch of her breath didn't go unnoticed by the asari standing around her.
It looked like Earth. Exactly like Earth.
For a long time after the war Earth had been unrecognisable, an orange and black hell as fires still ravaged its surface. Then the orange had faded to a charred grey and it had become a cold wasteland. Ash had filled the skies, blocking out the sun for nearly a year and the seas had washed up debris with every tide.
The pollution from the war had faded over time but it had still been evident even when Jules and Liara had left and from orbit the planet had still appeared largely barren.
But now Earth was blue and white with patches of green and yellow sporadically visible beneath the swirling clouds. The oceans were vivid and vibrant and the air was clear. All in all it looked healthy. And exactly like Earth.
"Welcome home, Shepard," Egret's comment didn't help matters and Jules very quickly had to turn away and clear her throat before she could respond.
"So," she began, trying to sound nonchalant despite the quiver in her voice, "this is where Tevos built her headquarters?"
It was Adarna who answered her, standing tall and calm with her hands clasped neatly behind her back.
"Where else? Earth is no longer the human home world, Shepard. It's the galactic capital, the centre of civilisation. This is where the final battle was won against the reapers, where the survivors of the fleet and the armies came together to rebuild. Every race working together in harmony to restore what had been lost."
"Harmony, huh?" Jules raised an eyebrow, "I remember years of hardship, grief and petty bickering before we managed to restore anything resembling civilisation."
"But you got there in the end," Doctor T'Carra chipped in cheerfully, "Earth has the most diverse population of anywhere in the galaxy now, the HTA was founded here and the new world followed. These days Earth is a symbol, as much as the Citadel ever was."
Perhaps it was apt that Earth had taken on the Citadel's role, Jules mused. After all, it was the Citadel's wreckage that had provided many of the materials they had needed to start rebuilding Earth's cities. They had stripped the ancient station apart until there was nothing left of it and found a use for every scrap.
Those days had been rough. There had been a lot of pain and hopelessness, a lot of non-humans found themselves stranded far away from their home worlds while humanity had to come to terms with how much had been lost on Earth.
Some hadn't been able to cope with the trauma and there had been little in the way of any support networks to pick up the ones who fell behind. There had been days when even she had thought there would never be an end, when she had wondered why she had fought so hard for life.
"We're beginning our descent," Ereba's voice came over the comm and Jules felt a pang of something again.
This is ridiculous! She thought angrily, get a grip of yourself!
As she became increasingly uncomfortable, she felt Liara sidle up beside her and their knuckles brushed briefly. It was a small show of support, subtle and understated and yet Jules saw every asari in the room clock it before looking away and pretending to be interested in something else.
It seemed that the asari were still eagle-eyed when it came to that sort of thing. She had already overheard two of them whispering about how they had seen Liara coming out of Jules' room while her own bed hadn't been slept in for the whole journey.
The thought calmed her and a small smile spread on her lips as she realised she was still gossip worthy. She turned her head to give Liara a small nod and a wink and then looked back to the windows as the ship descended through Earth's atmosphere.
…
The ocean sparkled as the ship passed over it, as though a thousand diamonds were floating across its surface, dazzling as the sunlight touched them. The city they were headed towards was built onto a jagged coastline that jutted out into the sea; tall silver spires reached up into the sky, gleaming in the sunlight and a vast quayside was built right along the seafront where ships and yachts were moored.
Jules honestly didn't recognise where on Earth they were, but she didn't suppose it mattered. Many places had lost their old Earth names after the war as they were built on and renamed by the survivors who had happened to find themselves there.
New countries, regions and cities had emerged and with them came new traditions and customs. But in amongst the chaos of the rebuilding much of Earth's old cultures and history had been forgotten; or at the very least misremembered. Jules had never quite worked out how she should feel about that.
"What's this city called?" she asked Adarna as they passed smoothly over the quay towards a docking port further into the city.
"Rinoka," the stately asari replied as she once again clasped her hands behind her back.
"That sounds salarian."
"Yes. It was founded by a salarian STG unit who were deployed to fight the reapers along this coastline during the final battle. After the Crucible fired, they gathered together all the survivors from a hundred miles and built a settlement here. It was just a small village back then."
Jules remained quiet as the ship hovered and then gently lowered itself onto a round landing pad. She knew there were plenty of similar stories behind many of the new cities on Earth and indeed across the galaxy.
As the ship landed, Jules quickly realised that Adarna was right, Earth wasn't the human home world anymore.
As she gazed out of the windows at the bustling streets beyond the port, she saw very little that reminded her of old Earth. The architecture was impressive but not noticeably human in design, in fact Jules didn't recognise it as any type of design, like everything else it had evolved here in the aftermath of the war.
There was a whole throng of people moving about the city and humans were by no means in the majority. Instead they were simply one race among dozens who called this planet their home. T'Carra was right too, it did feel more like the Citadel.
Not everything had changed since the war, however. The docking port itself was crowded with hundreds of people all being held back by security guards, many of them had cameras and were talking urgently into communicators.
Journalists. Jules realised with no small amount of distaste. She would recognise them anywhere.
Of course, a large number of the crowd were simply curious spectators, some watching on quietly while others clambered over them to get the best view.
"I guess they know it's us then," Jules muttered, briefly locking eyes with Liara whose discomfort showed only as a slight pursing of her lips.
"There have been rumours for months that Tevos was searching for you," Adarna commented, "it won't have taken long for the news to get out."
Particularly if it was widely broadcast for the purposes of publicity, Jules mused irritably but she didn't say anything, she had learned a long time ago that it was best not to jump to conclusions, however likely they might seem.
"What do people make of Tevos' mission?" Jules asked as she eyed the crowd, she presumed the ship's windows must have been tinted from the other side as no one was looking at them, instead every camera was pointed towards the outer door as they waited for them to emerge, "Is it widely known about?"
"Relatively," Adarna agreed, "it's not been taken very seriously in the media though. People say that it's a fool's errand."
"Wonderful," Jules muttered, "Always been good at attracting lost causes, haven't I?"
"You're even better at winning them," T'Carra said, throwing Jules a smile, "why do you think we've spent the last eight months looking for you?"
The door opened behind them and they all turned to see Grunt standing there, his bulking figure filling the doorway, "Ready Shepard?" he asked bluntly, "The longer we leave them waiting the rowdier they'll get."
Jules looked at Liara, who sighed softly and nodded, "No point in putting it off then, let's go."
…
Grunt and Adarna led the way out of the airlock while the rest of the crew followed. Jules had Liara on her right and Ereba on her left, Doctor T'Carra took Liara's other side and they were flanked by at least a dozen more asari so they were well shielded from the crowd. But that didn't stop the clamour of voices reaching them as they made their way slowly through the path the docking port security guards had cleared for them.
Reporters were screaming questions that went unheard amongst the noise while eager spectators tried to push their way to the front. A glare from Grunt was enough to discourage some of them while others were being held by the line of calm security guards and all the while Grunt and Adarna led the procession at a leisurely place, refusing to appear in any way flustered by the situation.
Liara was walking calmly with her head down as though she was completely oblivious to her surroundings. Outwardly she was showing no signs of discomfort but Jules knew better.
Jules herself decided to ignore the chaos and instead focussed on the fresh air. It had been a long time since she had actually set foot on a planet and breathed oxygen than wasn't stale and recycled. The climate was warm but there was a cool, salty breeze coming off the sea that invigorated her as she breathed it in and made her smile.
It seemed to be some time before noon and the day was dry and bright. Looking up into the sky she saw clean, white clouds and that perfect shade of blue that only Earth's sky seemed to have. She hadn't realised how much she had missed it until now.
A few repeated chants reached Jules' ears over the noise and she turned her head to see a group of people at the back of the crowd. They seemed to have climbed on top of a pile of crates to make themselves seen and were holding signs that she couldn't quite make out.
As Jules listened to what they were chanting she heard things like, 'liars!' and 'fake!' being shouted repeatedly.
"Who are they?" she asked Ereba, leaning in close to make herself heard.
The asari followed her gaze, "Truthseekers," she replied casually, then as she saw Jules' frown she added: "conspiracy theorists. They think the Reaper War never happened."
Jules blinked, "You have got to be kidding me."
Ereba just smiled and shrugged, "There have been a lot of fake Shepards and Liaras over the years you've been gone, they probably think you're just another hoax."
That would account for why much of the crowd almost seemed more like a protest than a simple media gathering, Jules reasoned with a frown, "Thinking I'm a hoax is one thing but the entire war?"
Again Ereba merely shrugged, "I wouldn't worry. People don't tend to take them too seriously."
It was with great relief that the small group eventually emerged indoors, into the lobby of the docking port where they were sheltered from the cameras and the noise; but through a set of glass double doors Jules could see more press waiting for them in the street outside.
"Even after a hundred years away, you can still draw a crowd, Shepard," Grunt chuckled, turning to throw her a grin.
"That's what happens when you save the galaxy," Ereba agreed with a smile.
"Yeah," Jules muttered, "I knew that would come back to bite me one day."
Adarna was over at the reception desk, apparently dealing with procedures, protocols and the other necessary red tape for their arrival while the others milled around, chatting and fidgeting and forever keeping one eye on the cameras that awaited them outside.
"Tevos' headquarters is just down the road," Grunt said as he and Egret waited beside Liara and Jules, "still it's probably best we take a car, easier not to get mobbed that way."
"Urgh," Liara groaned, placing a hand to her forehead. Jules smiled at her sympathetically.
"Well, if Tevos does want us just for the publicity, it seems to be working."
"Regrettably," the asari agreed through gritted teeth.
"Wait, who did you say?" their attention was drawn by a very confused salarian voice and they looked over to see it was the receptionist Adarna was dealing with.
"Juliet Shepard and Liara T'Soni," she repeated in the tone of someone who knew fine well that they had been heard right the first time.
"This is a joke right?" the salarian argued sceptically, "Liara and Shepard aren't real, they're just a story," Jules had to admire the guts it took to talk so condescendingly to someone who was at least seven-hundred years older than you – though she suspected it may actually have been ignorance that was motivating the young man as Adarna narrowed her eyes calmly and pursed her lips before she answered.
"I assure you they are both perfectly real and quite corporeal, therefore they need entry visas to the city, if you would be so kind."
"Listen," he said, folding his arms, "you might be able to stir the press up with bullshit like this but we don't issue visas to made-up heroes from crappy kids' stories."
"Oi! Come over here and call me that!" Jules shouted, drawing a look of further incredulity from the salarian as he frowned at her. She waved and threw him a cocky grin that made Grunt and several of the asari chuckle quietly.
"Thank you Shepard," Adarna called to her calmly, "I am handling this," she turned back to the salarian, seeming to tower over him despite being an inch or two shorter, "if you check, you should find that their arrival has already been cleared by Matriarch Tevos."
"She's right," a young human woman said from behind the desk before the salarian could respond. She was staring at the screen of her computer with an expression of similar disbelief and then glanced over towards Jules and Liara, "says here it's been approved."
As the salarian leaned over her chair to see, his large eyes only narrowed further before he cast Jules an almost contemptuous scowl, "HTA will believe anything, won't they?" he muttered, "Fine. Give them their visas."
"Can we expect such a warm welcome everywhere?" Jules muttered as the argument ended and murmured conversation again filled the room. Beside her, Grunt just smiled and shrugged.
"You disappeared for a century, Shepard. People have lived and died in that time."
"Even I was born after you'd gone," Egret agreed softly, "to some of us you've only ever been a story."
"And to the salarians a hundred years ago is like ancient history," Grunt laughed but Jules didn't feel like joining in, this may have been Earth but she was feeling less and less at home with each passing second.
The car journey was short and swift, offering little of a view of the city beyond the tall, mirror-like buildings that loomed over them. When they stepped out of the car it was into the shade of a towering skyscraper and the sea breeze put a chill in the air that made Jules shudder irritably. She had only just gotten used to being warm again.
They were led into a large foyer where several dozen people – mostly asari – were striding with intent between office doors and elevators, shoes clacked on the tiled floor and every word uttered echoed around the high ceiling, meaning most of the conversations in the room were being murmured in low voices.
There was a long, high reception desk curved into the shape of a crescent moon where eight asari staff were working at consoles and on the wall above it large, polished letters read: Project Thessia.
"Imaginative naming," Jules muttered, earning her a small smile from Liara.
There was no welcoming committee – which Jules was actually quite grateful for – but as they entered, a hush settled on the room and the eight receptionists stopped their work to watch calmly as Adarna led them forwards.
"Would you inform Matriarch Tevos that we've arrived?" Adarna instructed one of them who merely nodded in response as her shimmering eyes lingered on Jules and Liara, then moved smoothly to her console. Adarna didn't wait for any kind of confirmation as she swiftly led them over to one of the elevators.
Jules, Liara, Grunt, Egret and Ereba joined her and Grunt's presence in particular made the ride cramped. Even so Liara seemed to be standing closer to Jules than was necessary and she felt the warmth of the asari's shoulder pressing against her own. Liara wasn't fond of small spaces and Jules noticed that she had her eyes closed.
No one said anything as they climbed steadily through over twenty floors until eventually the doors opened and they stepped out into a large, open-plan office.
It seemed their arrival here was anticipated, there were numerous asari sitting behind desks and computers but none were working or speaking. Instead all eyes were on them and the whole office was strangely quiet.
On the far side of the room, a pair of metal double-doors opened and Jules' eyes narrowed.
Councillor – or perhaps 'Matriarch' these days – Tevos emerged in a long, close fitting dress of silver and blue that trailed softly along the floor behind her and seemed to shimmer as she walked. It was buttoned up to the neck and the sleeves extended so far they half-covered her hands; the long hem hid her feet and it would have been impossible to tell what kind of shoes she was wearing were it not for the definite clack of a heel each time she took a slow step forward.
Her silver eyes glimmered like the silk of her dress and the severe white markings around her face resembled tiger stripes and didn't soften even as she smiled. The asari had changed so little in appearance since the war that Jules briefly wondered if she was having flashbacks.
Tevos was still several feet away when she came to a stop.
"Juliet," she greeted her gently, her voice and manner hadn't changed at all in two centuries, "I'm so pleased you could join us."
For a moment Jules said nothing, instead folding her arms as she glanced around at her companions.
"Juliet?" she repeated, raising both eyebrows, "Funny. I don't remember us ever being on first name terms."
The smile faded a little but not completely, "I can address you as Shepard, if you would prefer."
"I would," Jules confirmed through gritted teeth.
"Very well," she kept her tone pleasant and a brief but uncomfortable silence followed.
"I gather you've gained the title of matriarch," Jules commented, "congratulations."
"Thank you," Tevos replied graciously, "it perhaps doesn't carry the same weight as it used to in the galaxy but, nevertheless…" she trailed off and cast a glance around at their audience, all of whom were watching attentively, "perhaps we should speak in private, Shepard. Liara can remain here, I'm sure someone will be willing to show her around our operation while you and I discuss certain matters."
Jules narrowed her eyes. The way Tevos talked as though Liara wasn't standing right in front of her was both irritating and insulting and she would have been perfectly prepared to tell Tevos as much. But as she caught Liara's eye, the asari gave her a meaningful look and a nod.
"Fine," Jules conceded, "lead the way."
Despite Tevos' use of the word 'private' she gestured for Adarna to follow them as she led Jules through the room to her office, reached through the elegant pair of doors Tevos had emerged from. As Jules entered the plush room she saw that Adarna wasn't the only asari with an invite.
Sitting stretched out on a corner sofa beneath a wide window, Jules was both surprised and slightly confused to find Aria lounging lazily with a glass of wine in one hand.
Jules stopped so abruptly at the sight of her that Adarna walked straight into the back of her, briefly disrupting the asari's usual grace and causing Aria to smirk slightly.
"Hello Shepard. Good journey?" she asked innocently, as though oblivious to the dumbstruck look on Jules' face even though Jules sensed that she was enjoying it immensely.
"I thought you were on Omega?" was all she managed to blurt out angrily as Adarna recovered her dignity, cleared her throat and stepped past Jules into the room.
Aria merely smiled, "Did I actually say that?"
Jules glared, "You as good as implied it! You two-faced little…" she trailed off, biting her tongue as she came dangerously close to sounding like a petulant child again.
"Have you two been in contact?" Tevos had been halfway through sitting behind her desk when she paused to eye Aria suspiciously.
"You didn't know?" Jules shot her a look, "What's she doing here anyway?"
Tevos hesitated and then finally sat and answered the question as though there was nothing strange about it, "Aria is one of our largest donators."
"Really?" Jules made a face, "I can't wait to hear how that came about."
"I'm sure we would be all too happy to furnish you with a full history of the project," Adarna replied pleasantly and Jules turned to see her smiling without warmth, "but I imagine you have more pressing questions for us."
Jules realised suddenly that she was neatly surrounded by the three of them and, judging by the suspicious glances Tevos was throwing Aria and the downright venomous glare Aria was giving Adarna, she got the feeling she was also standing right in the middle of a war zone.
She had no doubt that there were three separate agendas in that room, and no doubt that she was being sized up as a pawn in each of them. She had willing walked right into a trap, she realised with a sigh.
But she couldn't deny her own curiosity so she pulled back the chair that Tevos indicated to and sat, her arms folded.
She looked straight into Tevos' silk coloured eyes while remaining very aware of Adarna standing behind her and Aria lounging off to her left, just within her peripheral vision. She wondered if any of them was an ally.
"Alright," she began, "tell me exactly what this project of yours is going to entail. You say you want to 'reclaim' Thessia but no one's told me what that actually means. Are you just planning to turn up with colonists and rebuilding supplies or is there more to it."
Tevos and Adarna exchanged a glance while Aria sniggered loudly, "Fuck. You really are out-of-touch with the galaxy, aren't you Shepard?"
Tevos shot her a glare which, surprisingly, quietened her.
"Okay," Jules muttered, "enlighten me. What have I missed?"
Tevos took a moment before she spoke, leaning back to gaze out of the window at the city. Beyond the skyscrapers, rolling green hills could be seen where the suburbs petered out into smaller villages and farmland.
"You know that asari space was the last to become accessible again through the relays?" she asked softly, "The HTA were trying to build new colonies and cities to accommodate the survivors of the war and expanding too far out too quickly would have been counterproductive. By the time new colonies were founded there were often limited resources left for repairing the relays so expansion was slow. The relay in the Athena Nebula wasn't repaired until over one hundred years after the war. I believe you had already left by then?"
"Yes," Jules agreed.
She remembered that repairing the relays had been slow work, eezo in particular had been in short supply and the amount required to repair even one relay was phenomenal. Being reaper tech, the mass relays had been hit far worse by the Crucible than most other technology and it had quickly become apparent that fixing them was no small task.
As far as Jules recalled, asari space had not been a priority and various setbacks and political disputes had only lengthened the process.
"But it's not like Thessia couldn't be reached before that. You could probably get from the Serpent Nebula to the Athena Nebula in about… four months at FTL. You could get there from here within a year."
"True," Tevos allowed, "and some even did. But in the aftermath of the war, the HTA's focus was on Earth and Palaven and when they did expand they took their aid to colonies across the Traverse. Aria meanwhile was controlling the Terminus and the quarians were expanding on the Far Rim. In short, there was no one to bring law and order to asari space."
Jules frowned, "Were there many people left in asari space though? Most were evacuated during the war weren't they?"
"No," Adarna cut in, "most were killed. But you're right, the majority of the survivors were evacuated to the Citadel or colonies outside of asari space. Not all however."
"There were groups of colonists who decided to stay and rebuild," Tevos agreed, "and they weren't all asari. There were several turian and salarian mining operations on various colonies and the surviving staff were ordered to stay even after the reapers attacked. They found themselves completely cut off from the galaxy after the Crucible fired. The survivors banded together to survive in the aftermath, those bands became factions and those factions fought over the few resources they had access to."
"Survival of the fittest," Jules mused grimly, "I saw a lot of that after the war… it doesn't always bring out the best in people."
"Indeed," Tevos agreed, "I'm sorry to say that asari space has become lawless. There was no one there to impose order and now gangs rule."
Jules frowned softly, "This must have started before Liara and I left. Why did I never hear about it?"
"Perhaps you never thought to ask," Aria suggested with a smile so icy it stung, though it was no sharper than the look Tevos used to silence her again.
"The HTA made sure it wasn't widely publicised. They had limited resources and so they only gave media attention to the places they could actually afford to send aid. It was a reasonable tactic, not one that I begrudge them for."
Jules grimaced and looked away, once again glad that she would never understand politicians.
"The situation in asari space has only gotten worse in recent years," Adarna continued, bringing them back to the matter at hand, "now that the HTA is expanding into the Terminus, many of the gangs and smugglers that operate in that region are finding themselves displaced," Jules heard an irritated growl from Aria's direction and couldn't resist throwing her a smirk, "they naturally have to move their operations somewhere."
"And asari space is the most attractive option," Jules nodded, "funny how lawlessness tends to attract criminals, isn't it? You would think it would work the other way around."
"Asari space is a war zone," Adarna agreed coolly, "if we don't do something now it will only get worse."
"And you're planning to go into this war zone in four unarmed ships?" Jules queried, remembering what Grunt had told her.
Both Adarna and Tevos shifted uncomfortably while Aria grunted as though half amused and half irritated at the same time.
"Our ships are equipped with stealth technology not unlike the Normandy was, and they are manoeuvrable enough to be able to evade most weapons fire," Tevos told her, though even she didn't seem terribly convinced.
"You're planning on defeating lawless pirates with… stealth?"
Another look was exchanged between Tevos and Adarna and Tevos nodded at some unspoken consensus, "We're operating under HTA restrictions. They don't want to us to cause a diplomatic incident with the factions in asari space by sending an armed fleet into their midst."
Jules raised an eyebrow, "They don't want to offend the criminals?"
"It would seem so. In truth, Shepard, we can't be sure whether this mission will be one of diplomacy or aggression. We have no way of knowing how much power the factions hold and whether they can be negotiated with."
"So this is a scout mission?"
"For want of a better term, yes."
Jules considered her for a while, "Are there actually people on Thessia itself?"
"Possibly. It's hard to know for sure. The HTA restricts travel to asari space for people's own safety therefore there aren't many accurate reports about the current situation there."
"If there are people living there it's probably complicated matters for them," Aria muttered dryly, her voice betraying no emotion as she stared down into her wine glass, "Thessia is a dangerous place for non-asari."
Jules shot her a look, "How d'you mean?"
She caught her eye and smiled as though it should surely have been obvious, "It's all that eezo, Shepard. Thessia breathes element zero, it's in the air, it's in the water, in the soil, the plant life, the food."
"All life native to Thessia either possesses biotic powers or is element zero resistant," Adarna agreed, "it's necessary for survival."
"You know the kind of affects element zero can have on non-asari," Aria continued, "of all the unborn humans ever exposed to eezo how many actually survived to become biotics like you? Less than half wasn't it? The rest of them developed fatal cancer and died before they were even born."
"And the concentration of eezo on Thessia is significantly higher than most exposures elsewhere," Tevos agreed, "it's unlikely any alien child conceived there could actually make it to birth and any non-biotics who spend time there would eventually suffer health problems, even death."
"That's why our laws for aliens visiting Thessia were always so strict," Adarna explained, "there were some places we restricted completely because the element zero levels were so high. Everybody believed that it was just asari superiority, that we were hiding secrets from the galaxy."
"A reasonable assumption," Jules muttered, casting Tevos a dark look.
"But a misguided one. Spending too long on Thessia can be a death sentence to someone without biotic resistance."
"And you wonder why the HTA didn't waste their resources trying to repopulate it?"
"No," Tevos replied bluntly, "I don't. But I am not the HTA. I am the closest thing the asari people have to a representative in this new galaxy and – although I have failed them in the past – I am trying to give them a voice again. And a home," she paused and leaned forward, "will you help me?"
"Help you?" Jules pursed her lips and waited a moment before she spoke, "The sad fact is, that while Earth falls, we have time to ready our own defences… do you remember those words Tevos? The words you told me when I went to you for help? Because I hear them in my sleep. Or what about when I asked for help against the Collectors and you couldn't associate with me because of Cerberus? Or when I told you that Saren was planning the return of the reapers and you dismissed me as a gullible mad woman? Tevos, every time I have ever gone to you for help you have turned me away and that was when the galaxy itself was at stake. Now you expect me to help you on some personal crusade?"
There was a pause and for a moment Tevos seemed to flinch, perhaps because the look Aria was giving her was – interestingly – almost as accusing as the one Jules was.
"We did help you in the end."
"Yeah, when you thought that I could help you. Do you have any idea how many more lives could have been saved if the asari had joined the war earlier? But no, you were too busy covering up your secrets for fear it would harm the asari's influence, trying to protect your precious matriarchs and for what? They all died when Thessia fell anyway!"
Tevos blinked. Somewhere behind those silk coloured eyes Jules knew she had hit a nerve but she also knew Tevos was never going to admit it so easily.
After a moment the asari cleared her throat, "I'm assuming you didn't agree to come all this way simply to air you feelings, Shepard. If I explain why I'm embarking on this mission, will you hear me out at least?"
Jules felt her face harden, it was clear Tevos wasn't even going to dignify her outburst with a response. But despite the anger that provoked, Jules conceded with a nod.
"Do you remember life before the war, Shepard?"
"Of course I do," Jules replied, it seemed a ridiculous question.
"Does it seem a long time ago to you? Or could it have been yesterday?" when Jules didn't reply, Tevos looked back at her and smiled faintly, "Forgive me. No human has ever lived as long as you have and I wonder if your perception of time is now similar to ours. Although you are still young by asari standards, the time before the Reaper War was only a small fraction of your lifetime."
"Does that matter? We both lived through the same thing."
"Perhaps. But I'm nearly one thousand years old, Shepard. Two hundred years is really not so long. When I think of my life, I think of the galaxy the way it was before the reapers came but now that world is gone. Now turians and krogan are allies rather than enemies, the quarians are one of the richest races in the galaxy and Tuchanka is fast become the cultural capital of the Milky Way. And we, once the political masterminds of the galaxy, live off the charity of the other races with no government, no economy and no planet of our own."
"You have to change with the times," Jules mused dryly.
"So the young ones tell us. It wasn't something we ever had to deal with before the war, times changed around us and we stayed the same despite it all. Thessia was our constant."
"I suppose that was easy to sustain when you controlled galactic politics."
"Indeed. But now we don't, instead we get tossed around by the decisions of others but we can't live in sync with the rest of the galaxy when we outlive it so rapidly. Young asari are watching their childhood friends grow old and die before they themselves have even reached adulthood. Before, when our alien friends or bondmates died and we were left to start another new life without them we would return home, to the place where nothing had changed and we could ground ourselves in the knowledge that while nothing else was certain, Thessia would always be there. But now Thessia is gone and we have nowhere to shelter ourselves, instead we must remain trapped in the ever changing world, watching the cycle repeat over and over, finding love and stability and losing it every time. Knowing that whenever we witness the start of something we will probably live to see its end. The new generation are still too young to know how much that hurts but you do, don't you Juliet? Isn't that why you ran? Cut yourself off from the shifting tides of the galaxy before they could hurt you anymore?"
Jules shifted in her chair, choosing to ignore Tevos' use of her name as she was sure it had been a deliberate tactic, "Maybe. In part. I'm not sure I know to be honest."
"Thessia was our strength. Simply knowing it was there was enough to grant us the patience and wisdom that we relied on. We need it back."
Jules hesitated, shifting her gaze out towards the city as she thought about it. It could be surprisingly hard to make a decision with three set of eyes on you but she somehow suspected that stalling them wasn't an option.
Part of her wanted to tell Tevos where to go; an irrational, bitter part of her perhaps but she was still tempted by it. There was no doubt that Tevos' actions during the war had prolonged it, and inevitably cost more lives. It was also inevitable that there was more going on here than she had been made aware of, she was particularly suspicious of Aria's motives. Although, interestingly, Tevos seemed just as wary of her. She couldn't decide if that was a good sign or not.
She eventually decided that the best way to go about this was to take her feelings about Tevos and Aria out of the equation, then what was she left with? A lawless corner of space in need of rehabilitation and a race desperately trying to reclaim their home.
"Oh look at her," Aria said suddenly as Jules continued to gaze distractedly out at the city. She turned now to look at the asari who was lounging lazily with a smirk on her lips, "a mission across space to liberate an ancient world overrun by crime. Gangs, criminals and all the odds stacked against us, she can't help herself. She couldn't say no even if she wanted to."
"Quiet, Aria," Tevos commanded like a disapproving mother and Aria sighed but shut up all the same. That must have been the third time Jules had seen the asari yield to Tevos' command. She found that strange too.
"Shepard?" Tevos was looking at her again, pressing for an answer.
With three sets of asari eyes boring into her, Jules sighed in defeat, "I can't say no," she admitted though as she saw a sigh of relief escape Tevos' body she cast the matriarch a cold look, "but that doesn't mean I can say yes… not yet. I need to know more about your operation, I need to more about your plans and I also need to know how you're planning to drag Liara into this. I can't speak on her behalf and I won't make a decision without her. Do you understand?"
Tevos seemed slightly surprised but at least relieved that she wasn't receiving a flat out 'no' so she nodded, "Of course. We have accommodation for many of our staff here in the building, I've had two rooms made up for Liara and yourself, unless you had other plans?"
Jules snorted, well aware that she had no money, no friends and nowhere else to go, "No Tevos, I didn't have other plans."
"Good. I'll have someone show you-"
"I'll find my way," Jules interrupted, standing as she felt a sudden desire to be out of that room, "I won't try to escape, I promise."
"Shepard!" as she wandered casually to the door, Tevos' shout stopped her and she turned to look at the matriarch expectantly, "I've arranged several interviews with the press for you, starting in the morning."
Jules paused, "Jesus. You know how to push you luck don't you?"
Tevos seemed to shrug, "They'll want to talk to you anyway. At least this way I have a degree of control over them. It's better than being mobbed in the street."
Jules narrowed her eyes but gave no answer as she turned on her heel and left, briefly cursing the mess she seemed to have gotten herself into.
…
As Shepard left the room, Tevos turned to eye Aria closely. The asari met her gaze without flinching and stared her down so coldly Tevos could almost believe she was the one being scrutinised.
"What?" Aria asked eventually, her soft voice laced with ice.
"Why did you contact Shepard? Especially since you knew Grunt was already on his way to her."
She shrugged carelessly, turning away to take a mouthful of wine, "I thought that if the idea was already in her head she would come around more easily when Grunt showed up. That's all."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Lilac blue eyes turned on her again, soft and piercing at the same time, "Do I have to tell you everything?"
"You're not on Omega now, Aria."
"Hmph," she snorted into her wine before draining the glass and slamming it down, "I'm painfully aware of that, don't worry."
She stood and sauntered out of the room and Tevos let her go, watching with a thoughtful frown.
"What's wrong?" Adarna asked after the door had closed and Tevos turned to consider her.
"Aria never showed any interest in reclaiming Thessia, even when she started backing the project she gave me as few resources as she could get away with. Until I mentioned I was searching for Shepard. Then she practically threw money at me."
Adarna's eyes narrowed a little, "Why?"
Tevos just shook her head, she had no idea what Aria was up to but she had a feeling her motives wouldn't be for the good of the asari people, "Keep an eye on her."
"Aria?" Adarna asked, "Or Shepard?"
"Both."