The ship was nicer than Liara expected. Fast, agile, with a military-grade sensor array, some limited stealth capabilities, and more weapons than Liara knew what to do with. Designed to be crewed by a single mercenary with the help of an impressive suite of electronics and an incredible VI, the Light Echo was exactly what Liara needed.

Liara made contact with Feron to let him know how Omega had turned out. She also sent out a message to the entire Shadow Broker network.

Attention all agents:

PRIORITY ONE. Place all non-essential tasks on standby to execute the following:

Locate former Cerberus agent Miranda Lawson and report whereabouts to Shadow Broker immediately. Do not attempt to approach, detain, or interact with Lawson.

Follow all security level Red communication protocols.

And then, she waited alone with her thoughts. Upon leaving Omega, Liara had quickly realized she had no destination until she located Miranda. Waiting near Omega seemed like inviting trouble while the Alliance was searching for her, so Liara had set a course for the uninhabited planet Dorgal in the nearby Fathar system. She orbited the planet, setting the ship to autopilot and laid in her rack, staring at the bulkhead.

This has to work. Miranda will be able to get me to a Cerberus facility where we can access the old Lazarus data. Then we can match the blood sample I got from Omega against his records and I can finally put this to rest…

Unless of course he is Shepard, in which case I'll be racing across the galaxy trying to find him.

…And what happens when I do find him?

That gave Liara a moment of pause. Try as she might, she couldn't plan for that outcome. She continued staring at the bulkhead, and tried not to think as the hours rolled by.

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Liara sighed contentedly, snuggling closer to the warm body beside her.

"Hey… wow. Look who's here."

Liara began to sit up in bed, and found herself staring into his eyes. His lips were unbelievably soft against hers as he kissed her. She sighed.

"I wish we could spend every morning like this."

He smiled and propped himself up on one side, head rested in his hand. "Maybe there's still time. You haven't given up yet, have you?"

Liara lowered her head in thought before returning her eyes to his rapt gaze. "No. In my heart, I know I'll keep looking for you."

He let out a soft chuckle before leaning forward and kissing her forehead. Liara smiled.

"I love you, Shepard."

A chirp from the communications terminal interrupted her dozing. Liara sprang from the bunk and situated herself in the cockpit. She quickly set up her communication security protocols: a false image on the monitor and a voice modulator, along with the usual trappings to hide her location.

"This is the Shadow Broker. Code in." Liara decrypted the incoming data packet, and then activated the channel. "Go ahead, Agent."

A mechanical breathing sound crackled through the speakers. "This is Agent"- breath- "Niftu Cal. I have-" breath- "the target Miranda Lawson in sight."

Liara couldn't help but smile. She recalled with amusement the story of how Shepard had met Niftu Cal on Illium. "Very well, Agent. Are you still on Illium?"

The former 'biotic god' on the screen nodded vigorously. "Yes, Shadow Broker. I have-" breath- "secured several hundred thousand credits for your-" breath- "accounts. You should have a quarterly report soon."

Liara was already plotting a course as she replied. "Excellent work. Maintain visual on Lawson. Agent T'soni will meet you and you will hand the target off to her."

The Volus nodded. "Very well."

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Liara arrived at Nos Astra on Illium without fanfare. The Light Echo was now patched into the Shadow Broker's network, and Liara had done extensive work on the ship's background, as well as her own. She knew after having run a successful information brokerage here that several people would investigate the strange new vessel and its crew. A cursory glance would show the Light Echo hailed from Virmire, and was owned by a successful bounty hunter living comfortably on the edge of the Terminus systems, happy to work for anyone with enough credits. Satisfied with her cover story, Liara disembarked and immediately headed for her rendezvous.

Niftu Cal was seated at a booth in the rear of Eternity, looking agitated. Liara quickly walked to his table and sat across from him.

"Where is she?" Liara asked shortly.

The Volus took two breaths before he answered, "She is currently at the Illium Springs living complex." Another breath. "She appears to be helping someone move in."

Liara nodded and stood from the table. "Return to your usual duties. I'll handle it from here." She half-ran from the bar to the nearest taxi stand, and signaled for a ride. Her mind raced as she waited.

Why would Miranda be moving in on Illium? No… Niftu Cal said she was helping someone move in… but who?

The skycar taxi dropped her at the main entrance of the Illium Springs facility. The long front walk was divided in half by a long waist-high water feature. The outside of the building was simple, with decorative patterns chasing across the stonework. Liara entered the lobby and looked about. The floor-to-ceiling windows streamed light inside, reflections bouncing off the water fountain that dominated the center of the area. Potted shrubs and benches were placed around the room. The far wall was dominated by a bank of elevators. As Liara approached, one door opened, and she smiled at her good fortune as Miranda stepped out onto the floor.

It slightly unnerved Liara to see how little Miranda had changed. Gone was the skin-tight bodysuit that she'd worn in her Cerberus days. Miranda wore a short black jacket over a dark red top. Her pants were black, and tucked into thigh-high black boots. Her movements were graceful, especially for a human. Her demeanor at first glance was cold, unfeeling. Liara knew this to be untrue, however. "Miranda."

Miranda spun on heel. "Liara? What are you doing here? I mean…" She broke into a smile. "It's good to see you again. What brings you to Illium?"

"You do." Liara glanced around. "I'm sorry to be abrupt. Is there somewhere we could speak in private?"

Miranda nodded. "I have a room upstairs. Come on."

They rode the elevator up in silence. Liara puzzled over in her mind exactly how to enlist Miranda's assistance. The elevator stopped, and Miranda led the way to a doorway near the end of the hall.

Liara followed Miranda into a modest apartment. The room was well-lit and lavishly furnished. "So," Miranda began, heading for the minibar, "why are you looking for me?"

Liara made her way to the sofa and seated herself. Miranda joined her a moment later, handing her a drink before seating herself on the opposite end of the sofa.

"I need your help, and you're not going to believe why."

Miranda raised a brow and smiled slightly, her curiosity piqued. "Interesting. Alright, what've you got?"

Liara opened her omnitool and played back the video feed from the Omega docks. Miranda's smile slowly eroded away as she watched the feed, replaced by a mix of shock and confusion.

"Is that Shepard? How did he survive? Where-" She stopped and looked at Liara, who had said nothing, staring out the room's picture window at the Illium skyline. "Tell me."

Liara took a long pull from her drink. "I'm not sure if it's him. Everything in me says it is, and I need to be sure."

Miranda nodded in understanding. "No doubt. Did you talk with him?"

Liara sighed and emptied her glass. "Yes. He appears to have no memory of me- of anything. He doesn't know who he is."

And now, Liara knew, she really had Miranda's attention. "The picture is starting to come into focus. You want my help to somehow verify he's Shepard, and restore his memory. You're hoping that my rather unique knowledge of his implants will benefit you."

Liara swirled the ice in her glass. "There's even more to it, I'm afraid." She sighed. "I have a blood sample. I want to match it against Cerberus records to verify his identity."

Miranda's expression grew puzzled, and she rearranged herself on the sofa. "Why not use the Alliance's military records? Surely you have access. You are working for them, after all."

Liara pursed her lips. "My employment status with the Alliance was compromised when I deserted an Alliance mission to pursue this lead… and then hacked into an Alliance data server while I was on Omega. I'm currently outrunning an Alliance team sent to escort me back to Earth."

Miranda let out a laugh. She stood, and took Liara's glass back to the bar, pouring another drink. "That story sounds so ridiculous that it's probably all true. I recall a conversation I once had with Shepard in which I said we lead such crazy lives. I think it's safe to say that applies to you as well, Liara." She turned from the bar and headed back to the sitting room. "There's one problem, and it's not easily overcome." Miranda handed the refilled tumbler to Liara and took up her relaxed pose on the sofa again. "I don't work for Cerberus anymore. But then, you knew that."

Liara sighed again. "I was hoping you might accompany me to a low-level Cerberus outpost and help me access their network."

Miranda shook her head. "That kind of data was compartmentalized. Shepard wasn't exactly on what you would call Cerberus' personnel files. There's only one location that would've housed that particular bit of information, and that's Lazarus Station. Now, Lazarus was destroyed by the Illusive Man after Shepard and I escaped, but a crew was sent in to retrieve all the relevant data. That data was relocated."

"Do you know where it was moved to?"

Miranda nodded. "Like all Cerberus projects, upon closing, the data is brought to an offsite storage facility. There's a station in the Pax system- not far from the Illusive Man's hideout on Cronos Station, really. It was called Titan Station. There may have been some other purpose for the facility, but I never went there personally, so…" she turned to Liara, a quizzical look on her face. "Why do you ask?"

Liara said nothing, giving Miranda her best blank stare. Miranda practically leapt from her seat. "Out of the question." She walked to the bar and set down her glass. "What you're asking…" she stopped, and seemed to consider something for a moment.

Did he affect you as well, Miranda?

Miranda spoke quietly, as if reading Liara's thoughts. "What you're asking is no less than what Shepard would've done for any of us." She returned to her seat. "You know, I'm here on Illium getting my sister settled back in. She missed this place, and so after the war I agreed to help move her back." She smiled then, as if remembering something pleasant. "If it wasn't for Shepard, my sister wouldn't even be alive… I wouldn't even be alive." She turned to Liara then.

"Listen, Liara. Titan Station almost certainly has the data you need, and more."

That confused her. "More? All I need is to…" her words trailed off as the implications set in.

His memory. Miranda rebuilt him from next to nothing, and restored his memory. If the files she used to do that are still there…

Miranda nodded as Liara's eyes widened in shock. "Yes. We may be able to restore his memory, or perhaps at the very least find something to help us in that direction."

Liara trembled at the idea.

I won't stop until I have you back, Shepard. All of you.

Author's note: Thanks for your patience, everyone, and I apologize for the delay. Between the new job, kids' birthdays, and the everyday rustic, it's getting tougher to get chapters out on a regular basis. I'll keep them coming as quick as I can :)

Until next time.

-Zero