Chapter Eighteen
The Soul of Omega

Omega, Sahrabarik

Afterlife, the incessantly pulsating heart of Omega, seemed to have emerged from the War unscathed, as though normal service had never been disrupted. The Cerberus occupation had swiftly been swept under the rug or, perhaps more aptly, flushed out of the airlock.

When Liara entered she found the pace as frenetic, the music as mind-numbingly loud, and the overall atmosphere of hedonism as prevalent as she remembered. If anything, such elements were magnified. Especially when contrasted with the solitude in which she had spent the past seven months. Afterlife clearly thrived in the aftermath of chaos.

As Liara threaded her way through the enthusiastic patrons she noted that Afterlife did not seem to be suffering a shortage in either alcohol or talented dancers. Scantily clad asari, some with their breasts bared altogether, gyrated for the amusement of their boisterous but obedient clients. Despite the tempting goods on offer within arm's reach, the clientele complied with Afterlife's strictly no touching policy. As she passed by in the shadows Liara's gaze lingered on one writhing blue body, more out of a need for distraction than any real desire toward voyeurism. Her pulse inadvertently quickened just watching the deliberately provocative undulations. As the dancer trailed both hands up her inner thighs, Liara could see just how easy it would be to lose herself in such a display. Although it was hardly the time for such fantasies, she could not help but imagine herself wearing the same enticingly revealing outfits whilst dancing for Shepard. It was a ridiculous notion. Even if sex was on the cards in her immediate future, her dancing would be more suited to eliciting laughs. Liara dragged her gaze away from the half-naked asari and forced herself to focus on her real reason for venturing into Afterlife.

Aria T'Loak made no attempt to conceal the fact that she was watching her approach. Liara only had to glance up at the raised platform that dominated the upper floor of Afterlife to see the Queen of Omega casually observing her. Having visited T'Loak on her throne before, Liara was knew exactly how effective the vantage point was. It made everyone, regardless of their own internal convictions, feel like a supplicant. It was a position that grated on Liara more than most. Her mind had already been made up. She would not thank Aria or act as though she was doing her any favours. She and Shepard were there of their own free will, they could leave at any time and they were not beholden to Aria for anything. Liara had more than enough credits and support of her own. Through its very nature as a criminal hub, Omega had always been an integral part of the Shadow Broker's network. Despite the recent upheavals and her own neglect, Liara still had more than agents in place.

The crusty Turian at the base of the stairs merely grunted at her as she approached. Liara supposed that was his way of letting her know that Aria was expecting her. She did not hasten up the stairs, taking her time as she forced herself to find a measure of composure.

When she ascended the final flight of stairs, Liara found herself looking at Aria's back as the Queen continued to survey her domain. The trio of bodyguards – one batarian, two asari – all regarded her with unrestrained suspicion as she invited herself to take a seat. Aria glanced over her shoulder, a smirk gracing her regal features.

"Dr T'Soni. I take it you enjoyed your holiday in…well, wherever the fuck it is on Earth that Mack has his hidey hole?" Aria asked.

Liara was genuinely surprised at the civility of the greeting. "New Zealand, and yes, Mr Macklin was most…accommodating."

"Fuck. I expected him to be pissed off when I gave you that damn hovel of his," Aria growled in a disappointed voice. "Stubborn bastard always did do the opposite of what you'd expect."

Aria turned to face Liara. Instead of sitting down where she was, she circled around the table like a predator eyeing up its prey. Liara merely relaxed into her seat and met Aria's gaze with an impassive, almost bored expression. She caught a heady, robust scent as Aria stepped into her personal space. The other asari finally stopped with her legs astride Liara's. She then remained standing as she stooped forward with a predatory smile on her face. Liara already knew what was coming. She pre-empted Aria by closing the distance between them herself and initiating the kiss. What followed was purely a contest. As Aria savagely stroked the length of Liara's tongue with her own, the younger asari responded by dragging her fingers hard against the nape of Aria's neck. It lasted only a few seconds, but Aria was smiling broadly when she straightened. She lowered herself onto the seat opposite Liara whilst maintaining a respectable distance.

With Aria's eyes never leaving her, Liara was forced to discreetly wrestle her breathing under control. She nonchalantly crossed her legs and placed both arms across the top of the sofa, much in the manner that Aria was accustomed to doing herself.

"I knew I'd regret not fucking you," Aria said in a throaty voice. "Now I'm forced to use my imagination to hear you squeal…and I hate working that hard."

"I do not share that regret," Liara replied calmly.

Aria laughed. "I never said you had to be a willing participant, T'Soni." She tapped her fingers on the hard surface of the couch. The sound was drowned out by Afterlife's pulsing heartbeat. "Still, I expect that you will have your hands full reacquainting yourself with Shepard. Let me know when you tire of being fucked in the same way over and over. Soldiers have no imagination. Afterlife has an invitation-only suite where you can get in touch with some of your…carnal needs." Aria ran her tongue over her upper lip. "Even I make an appearance from time to time."

Liara inadvertently remembered the recent moments where Shepard had recoiled from her touch. Their 'reacquainting' would be a slow process, and certainly nothing along the lines of what Aria T'Loak implied. She forced a lazy smile onto her face. "Perhaps."

The nonchalant manner successfully masked her discomfort with the topic. While her physical relationship with Shepard often felt as natural as breathing, it had always been an intensely private. She was very much determined to keep it that way. As thrilling as it was to toy with the prospect, Liara had absolutely no desire to let Aria act on her innuendo.

When a waitress brought a tray of drinks, Liara waved her away with a polite motion of her hand. "Shepard and I want nothing more than to keep a low profile on Omega."

"Ha!" Aria snorted contemptuously as she snatched a drink from the tray. "Shepard can't help but interfere. It's in her annoyingly virtuous nature. You've been here two days and I honestly expected to hear reports of her laying waste to entire districts by now." She downed the contents of her glass in one swift movement. "However, I have heard nothing. Then you show up alone, Dr T'Soni. So far, I have respected your desire to remain discreet. Although now I suspect that Shepard is avoiding me…or is it a question of you keeping her from me?"

"If you want Shepard to trail around after you like a pet, Aria, I think you will find she is not amenable in the slightest," Liara replied coldly. "I believe her answer would be something along the lines of 'go fuck yourself' but then again, I do not want to speak for her."

Aria's expression hovered between fury and amusement. Then her lips curved upwards into a small smile. "I do not want another pet, I merely missed our chats. Her perspective on things always differs from mine. I get tired of people constantly agreeing with me. It's always nice to have a few people around who are willing to speak their mind…even if they do end up dead ninety-nine percent of the time."

Liara did not wait to be dismissed. She rose gracefully to her feet. "Not everyone can play the game."

"Indeed." Aria cocked her head to one side. "Oh...and Liara? Don't misinterpret my support as charity. You did me a service when the rest of the galaxy didn't give a fuck, but I won't hesitate to act if you and Shepard upset the balance of power on Omega."

Aria T'Loak is nervous, Liara thought with a measure of satisfaction that she did not let translate onto her face. Liara had long suspected that Aria felt something approaching respect toward Shepard, but she had not thought that the Queen of Omega would go as far as acknowledge a possible threat to her own rule. Even with her own formidable resources as the Shadow Broker, Liara knew that taking Aria down would be difficult bordering on impossible. That coupled with the fact that neither she nor Shepard had any desire to oust the current Regent meant that her fears were largely unfounded. It was, however, a fortuitous position to be in.

"We are here purely for the scenery," Liara replied.

A throaty laugh followed and Liara breathed a discreet sigh of relief. "I have a feeling that I am going to enjoy your presence on Omega immensely," Aria replied. "I would have you tell Shepard to try and avoid picking fights, but we both know she won't listen. Pass on my regards and let her know if she gets bored, I can provide her with a list of heads that need separating from bodies…or an invitation to the suite I mentioned earlier."

Liara inclined her head briefly, before turning to make her exit. It was only when she had merged back into the relative safety of Afterlife's masses that she let out a much deeper exhale. The meeting had gone better than she had expected, but she was still unsettled. It was one thing for Aria to hold onto her preconceived notion of who Shepard was, it was quite another to maintain it in reality – especially when that image had since been shattered in the aftermath of war. Shepard was broken and once Aria found out, she would undeniably eat her alive.


Most cities possessed elements of beauty when viewed from a distance. Noise, stench and crowds receded, harsh details were smoothed out into aesthetically pleasing shapes. A myriad of colourful lights easily created an illusion of warmth and vibrancy. However not even distance could disguise the gritty, dark undertones of Omega.

The world beyond the apartment window was made up of contrasting shadows. The dull lights did not create warmth so much as draw attention to the darkness. It was the type of city that drew both the weak and the strong into its depths and did not let them leave. The apartment was near Omega's apex. From her perch on the window sill Shepard had a dizzying view downwards into the depths. It was as though a colossal scythe had carved the precariously built city in two, splitting open the closely compacted layers. In seeing a glimpse into the inner workings of the city, Shepard was reminded of the rotten core of an apple.

To avoid any sense of feeling as though they were indebted to Aria T'Loak, Liara had purchased their apartment outright. Although it in what was generally referred to as the 'nice' part of Omega, it had obviously been empty for some time. Its owner no doubt one of the unfortunate souls killed during the fighting some months earlier – the body having been incinerated, ashes cast out into space. Even a thorough clean had done little to erase the lingering musty smell and overall sense of emptiness – hardly helped by the depressing tan-coloured décor throughout. Although Shepard wasn't cold, the sudden loneliness caused a shiver to pass down her spine. She glanced at her omni – Liara had been gone less than an hour.

With her backside having long since gone numb, Shepard climbed down from her spot and began to pace. A large open space downstairs served as kitchen, dining room and main living area. An illusion of size was created by the fact that there was no furniture save for the couches that lined the wall beneath the window. The shelves held absolutely nothing, and a series of gleaming kitchen appliances that Shepard did not even know how to turn on let alone use. Her cooking skills extended as far as shoving a box of pre-prepared food in to be waved. A broad flight of stairs led upward to several rooms off a narrow hallway. Two similar bedrooms shared one tiled bathroom. The master suite overlooked the same impressive view as the living area, but otherwise the rooms were bare of any ornamentation. There was also a third room tucked away securely at the back of the apartment that Liara already had designs on as a limited office space. Overall the apartment, although of a decent size for a city hacked out of an asteroid, was Spartan and bland.

Shepard briefly contemplated trying to sleep, but after having slept throughout most of their journey to Omega, she felt awake and alert. Her midday meal lay largely untouched and unappetising on the window sill where she had been sitting. In short, she was bored.

Shepard paused in the middle of the open living space. She clearly remembered her promise to Liara not to venture outside, but the walls were steadily growing more oppressive by the minute.

There are only more walls out there, Ev, she reminded herself. More walls and less locks.

With a promise to herself that she would not venture far, she exited the apartment and made her way out of the narrow corridor beyond. With her hood pulled down low over her forehead, her face was left mostly in shadows. Omega's citizenry would not even be aware that the former Commander Shepard was strolling in their midst.

For some reason or another, Shepard had spent a relatively large amount of time on Omega at various stages of her life – mostly that time involved running gun battles with mercs, but some of her fondest memories were those she had spent with Liara during their shore leave. For all Omega's faults, Shepard felt more at home on the station than she ever had on Earth. A person could easily lose themselves here for the simple reason that no one gave a fuck – not unless you owed them money. No one paid her any attention as she skirted the edge of one of the larger courtyards. Even in this 'affluent' area, large piles of rubble had simply been cleared to the outskirts. Several street vendors were half-heartedly trying to attract passers-by with their wares, creating some sort of subdued atmosphere. However, at best it simply created a sense of desperation – all mirrored in the faces of the citizens she passed. Even though the Cerberus occupation had ended seven months earlier, clearly it had etched deeply into the everyday consciousness of Omega.

Almost from the moment she entered the courtyard, Shepard knew that someone was following her. She felt momentarily guilty that she had ignored Liara's advice, before it was supplanted by a dangerous exhilaration. Instinctively she left the courtyard to draw her shadow into a more secluded area without giving any consideration to the fact that she was in no shape to take on one merc let alone a whole group. The Phalanx pistol that Liara had given her earlier had been left forgotten in its holster in the kitchen.

You're definitely losing your edge, she chided herself as she nonchalantly took a set of steps downward. Her sole weapon was a last resort - her left hand, concealed within the glove Miranda had given her before leaving Earth.

Shepard had to admit that whoever was following her was good, but they were untrained. The first mistake was to be marked in the first place. From that point it was a simple exercise to draw them closer without giving away any hints that they had been made. It did not take Shepard long to realise that, despite some idle threat of danger, she was enjoying herself.

Okay, I was bored, but was I bored enough to deliberately find myself a fight? she mused. Maybe a small fight.

As far as she could tell, she had just one tail. Shepard had caught a few brief glimpses of a slight figure – definitely either a human female or an asari, leaning toward the latter judging by the graceful manner of movement.

Cognisant of the unpleasant possibility of Liara arriving back at their apartment to find her gone, Shepard realised that she could not stretch out her game indefinitely. She selected a secluded corner of an otherwise busy street before folding herself discreetly into the shadows. Shepard remembered a similar exercise from her ICT training before she could pass to N4 or N5, she couldn't remember precisely. A small grin curled one corner of her lip as she noticed the hooded figure looking for her in an agitated manner. With one swift movement, Shepard grabbed her tail by the back of her jacket and dragged her into the alcove. There was a slight feminine cry when she slammed them up against the wall.

"Why the hell are you following me?" Shepard hissed. She reached out and jerked the hood away from the individual's face. "Who-" The remainder of her demand died on her lips.

She was an asari. In the darkness Shepard couldn't be sure of her exact skin tone, but it was dark and her crests streaked with a lighter colour that might have been a shade of pink. Although the asari's eyes flashed indignantly at having been manhandled, the anger barely masked the underlying fear. Shepard had never been adept at guessing the ages of asari, few humans were, but even she could tell that her captive was young. She wore a battered set of old commando leathers that were too big for her and the jacket which Shepard currently held by the lapels. There was nothing on her person to indicate that she was Eclipse or any of the other merc bands that were endemic on Omega but Shepard could not rule it out. Dozens of the asari she'd killed in the past would have been almost as young.

"Why were you following me?" Shepard asked in a slightly gentler voice.

"Because you look like Commander Shepard," the asari replied simply. Even her voice sounded youthful.

"Shepard's dead," was the abrupt reply. Shit. Liara's going to be pissed.

"I heard the rumours from Earth, I'm not stupid," she replied indignantly. "But I knew Commander Shepard, and you look a hell of a lot like her."

Shepard narrowed her eyes. The asari was clearly lying. "You knew Shepard?"

She bit her lip nervously before replying. "Well, not exactly…I mean, I sort of knew her." A small sigh escaped her lips. "Okay, maybe I never actually met her, but I followed her around enough the last time she was here to know what she looked like…and she looked exactly like you but with shorter hair and all these orange scars over her face. Sounded like you too."

"Doesn't make me her." Instinct told Shepard that the young asari wasn't a threat…but that didn't make the situation any less inconvenient or annoying.

Shepard released her hold on the jacket and the asari immediately smoothed down her lapels as though the coat was something other than a ragged cast off. She took one step to the side so she could study Shepard's profile and her smug grin broadened. "You're definitely Shepard. I remember the first time I saw you in Afterlife-"

"Are you even old enough to get into Afterlife?" Shepard asked crossly, wondering if she ought to just walk away and forget the whole incident. A horrible sensation gripped the pit of her stomach when she wondered if the asari had been one of the dancers she had spent so much time ogling.

"I'm older than you, human!" The asari straightened and tilted her chin up, but she was still considerably shorter than Shepard. "Besides, no one in Afterlife gives a fuck how old you are. All that matters is if you can get in or not." She tilted her head to one side and her grin widened to a full-fledged smile. "You really like asari don't you? You were so busy staring at all the tits on display that you completely missed the expression on the face of that other human woman with dark hair, the one in your squad. I overheard her name. It was Lawson."

"Miranda?" Shepard let slip without realising what she had done.

"Miranda, yeah. You could tell she was jealous." The asari then laughed, pumping her fist delightedly at catching Shepard out. "I knew you were Shepard!"

"Quiet dammit!" Shepard hissed, pushing her back against the wall again.

The asari's confidant expression slipped. "You wouldn't seriously kill me for recognising you…would you? Fuck, of course you would, you're Commander Shepard." She bit her lip again. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"What? No...I'm not going to kill you," Shepard said as she let her go yet again. She narrowed her eyes to play along with the assumption. "But I might if word gets out. I'll know exactly who snitched!"

"I'm no lousy snitch!" the asari protested, shaking her head. "My name's Mycea Kasos, but since you're Commander Shepard you can call me Myke."

"Okay…Myke, first rule – don't ever call me Commander Shepard…or even Shepard, it's just Evan. In fact, it would be great if you just stayed out of my way altogether – got that?"

"No way, you're new here – or new to living here at least. You need me!" Mycea protested readily "You need something, anything, I can get it. Plus you don't have a squad to back you up-" She cut herself off when Shepard looked dubious at this suggestion. She shrugged, acknowledging the fact that she didn't exactly look like squadmate material. "I can do other things. How about someone to run messages for you?"

"No promises," Shepard replied with an irritated grunt. "Maybe." She tugged her hood back down over her eyes and pointed firmly at the young asari. Although she found her enthusiasm slightly refreshing, Shepard had to suspect that she was probably working for Aria. "I'm leaving, you stay right there until I'm gone!"

"You got it, Comman- I mean, Evan," Mycea said with a salute. The grin returned. "I'm on a first name basis with Commander Shepard," she stated in a pleased voice. Her grin vanished just as quickly when she realised what she'd inadvertently said.

When Shepard departed the alcove, she made a point of lingering on the other side of the courtyard for several minutes. Eventually Mycea made an appearance, strolling nonchalantly out of the alcove. Her attitude was slightly feigned and completely ruined a few moments later when she made another fist pump before continuing on her way. Shepard shook her head in amused disbelief. Shit, been here a day and I've already fucked up.

She'd already made up her mind not to tell Liara about the incident even though there was no guarantee that her bondmate would not find out on her own. Although she made it back to the apartment without further incident, she found Liara had returned before her. She was sitting on the couch with a neutral expression on her face that unnerved Shepard distinctly. With some apprehension, she took a seat perpendicular to Liara with a carefully measured amount of distance between them.

"How was Aria?" Shepard asked.

"Her usual charming self," Liara replied. "I am still unsure whether she is pleased that we are here or simply anticipating using you as leverage at some future opportunity."

Shepard shrugged. "Either way, she's pleased. Surely a pleased Aria is better than a pissed off one."

"Agreed." Liara nodded. She narrowed her eyes toward her bondmate.

Shepard winced in preparation. Here it comes.

"You did not eat your food," Liara pointed out.

"I went for a walk…outside, and all you can mention is that I didn't eat my lunch?" Shepard asked in surprise.

"I knew you would go outside despite the warning," Liara replied with a shrug. "But I did not expect that you would not eat your food. Next time I will tell you not to eat, perhaps then you will make some sort of effort."

When she picked up the plate and handed it across to Shepard, there was no choice except to take it. The mush looked just as unappetising as it had an hour earlier, but to humour her lover she started shovelling it into her mouth. It was only when she realised that Liara was watching every single mouthful, that she realised the annoying badgering was honest concern. Shepard remembered the moments during her captivity when she had stared at the reflection of the unrecognisable skeletal woman. Liara saw that woman, and it obviously scared her. She dutifully finished every mouthful of the food before setting the plate aside.

"Don't you get tired of telling me to eat or shower?" Shepard asked, only half-joking.

Liara shook her head. "No…although I do live in hope for the day when you can remind yourself of those things."

"I take showers!" Shepard protested.

With a slight smile, Liara reached out and swiped away a glob of food that had escaped Shepard's mouth and was still lingering on her chin. Shepard winced before drawing Liara into a hug to mask her awkwardness. The asari fell forward eagerly, tucking her head into the crook of Shepard's arm. They remained in silence for several minutes, Shepard in particular waiting for the tension to ease from Liara's body as she gently stroked her crests.

It was not lost on her that they were finally alone together. Everything that the Galaxy had thrown at them had culminated in this one quiet moment. Their agenda for the immediate future was simply to exist. A spartan apartment in the viper's nest of Omega was not exactly taken straight from her wildest dreams, but Shepard was prepared to work with it. She knew she needed the time to recover, her health, her relationship with her bondmate and her fragile sense of self that had very nearly been destroyed by Naomi Stone.

"You know you're not going to be able to keep me from Aria for long," Shepard said in a soft voice. "She'll want an audience with me."

"I know," Liara agreed with a shuddering breath.

If Shepard had slipped up in front of someone like Mycea Kasos, she dreaded to think what Aria would make of her. Pathetic, was the most likely assumption. Before the tendrils of self-loathing could take root in her mind, Shepard rose to her feet, scooping Liara's already tucked body up in the process.

"Evan!" Liara protested. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you to bed…don't look at me like that, I'm not going to take advantage of you, not today anyway" Shepard said, straining to keep her voice as neutral as possible to mask the fact that she was struggling with Liara's weight. "You're exhausted, Li."

By some miracle, Shepard made it to the bedroom without dropping Liara or her breath turning into some sort of wheezing gasp. She deposited her on the bed with painstaking care and hunkered down to strip her boots from her feet. It wasn't until she had to rise to her feet again that she realised how much the simple action had taken out of her.

I'm going to pay for that tomorrow, she thought as she started stripping Liara's jacket from her shoulders.

"We have an apartment," Liara mused quietly as she obediently raised and lowered her limbs whilst Shepard undressed her.

"You have an apartment," Shepard reminded her, fighting to maintain some measure of composure as she peeled Liara's suit down over her shoulders to reveal bare skin beneath. "I'm your roommate…or live-in lover, whichever way you want to look at it."

"I prefer to look at it along the lines of whatever is mine, is yours," Liara countered, stifling a yawn.

Shepard looked up at the puce-coloured feature wall behind the bed. "Does that include having a say in the colour scheme?" she asked as she slowly stripped the tight layers from Liara's legs. This action included a great deal more touching than was necessary. "I've always liked orange…" And I definitely like blue…

"I knew you would be a pain in the arse to live with," Liara muttered as she wriggled out of Shepard's wandering grasp.

Despite Shepard's lingering touches, any further intimate contact was far from Liara's tired mind. Clad in her vest, bra and panties, she eased herself beneath the bed clothes and sighed gratefully when her head hit the pillow. Although she knew that she had more pressing matters to attend to than sleep, Liara could not stop her eyes from closing. When she felt Shepard's warm body tuck in behind her own, her resolve was completely shattered.

As she felt her bondmate's body relax into unconsciousness, Shepard remained awake. She allowed five minutes to be certain that Liara was asleep before she carefully extricated herself from the bed. Liara continued to sleep as she changed out of her clothes and into some of the Alliance sweats that Liara had brought with her. Even though the well-worn gear was her own, it hung loosely on her frame. With some reluctance, she peeled off the black leather gloves that Miranda had given her.

In her bare feet, she padded back out into the living area and eased her protesting body down to the floor. On the very first push-up, her still-healing shoulder wound protested with a sharp stab of pain. Shepard ignored it. By the twentieth, she could barely feel it.

Sweat formed quickly in the warm apartment. It soon coated her body like a welcome second skin. Although her body was still weak, she could push herself to a point where she was satisfied. On top of this, she exercised with the knowledge that Liara was safely asleep upstairs and the Alliance was on the other side of the Galaxy. For the first time since waking up almost a month earlier, Shepard did not have to consciously fight to bury her pain.