Normandy SR2. Serpent nebula. 00:04 Shipboard Time.

Liara T'soni lent back in her chair and blew out a shaky breath. Two dead agents, an exposed communication channel and she still didn't have someone for that expedition to the citadel. 'What a disaster.' She had deployed those agents to guard Harrot because he was her only source on Omega since the Cerberus occupation, but thanks to this crazy woman Karla D'mel even that might change depending on how sore Harrot was at being roughed up.

Swivelling her chair away from her communication terminal Liara wheeled over to the main monitor bank and began punching keys.

'What could have caused D'mel's extreme reaction? As far as I know I have never done business with that mercenary before but Asari lead long lives. Was it possible that she has had dealings with my predecessor?'

A general databank search of KARLA DMEL brought up several files, one of which had been flagged but the time stamp was two hundred and forty years old. That predated even the broker she had defeated. How many individuals had filled the role of shadow broker in that time?

Liara opened the document with a click.

FROM: Agent Marvess

TO: Shadow broker

SUBJECT: Arrerius assassination

Greetings shadow broker,

I am pleased to report that Flavian Arrerius is dead and that no one is any the wiser as to our involvement. I'm managed to manipulate a young Asari by the name of Karla D'mel into doing my work for me. Some planted evidence was all it took. She is to be tried under Turian law in seven weeks time. Given Arrerius' occupation I would not be surprised if she was sentenced to hard labour on Maitrum.

As per your request I procured Arrerius' prints and retinal scans prior to his death.

Yours faithfully, Marvess.

With another few clicks Liara checked prison records on the Turian penal colony Maitrum and sure enough the name Karla D'mel was listed under the year 1946 of the human calendar. D'mel had been arrested for the murder of Flavian Arrerius, a Turian negotiator. She had been sentenced to twenty five years.

'Small wonder she holds a grudge against the shadow broker.' Liara's thoughts returned to the message. The shadow broker of old had ordered a Turian dignitary assassinated. She was not sure if she still had that kind of power. Thanks to the Reaper war her network had been so severely damaged that it was possible that she was the least powerful shadow broker in history. The thought made her glum.

If she couldn't find someone discreet for the citadel expedition then she would have to face the fact that Shepard was…

A loud knock rang through the bulkhead as someone pounded on the other side. Liara jumped a foot in the air. Garrus' familiar flanged tones sounded muffled through the fifteen centimetre door.

"Liara are you in there? None of us have seen you for days. Aren't you hungry?"

She was, painfully so, she hadn't eaten since the Normandy had rejoined the rest of the Alliance fleet more than four days ago. But she could not face anyone, not at a time like this. She needed to work.

While the ship had been undergoing repairs on the uncharted planet she had snuck out at night to grab supplies but now they had been re-staffed with new crew from the SSV Nevis double shifts had been put into place. She would be seen. Liara had not spoken to any one in person since Dr Chakwas had let her leave the medbay.

Garrus spoke up again. There was a pleading note in his voice this time.

"Liara please. I know you're crushed, I know you're bereaved, but starving yourself to death won't bring Shepard back." The Turian's sharp words brought stinging tears to her eyes that overflowed and pored down her already damp cheeks, following the snail trails of the thousands that had come before during the last few months.

I know! She wanted to shout. But at least then we'll be together again. That wouldn't have been honest though. She didn't want to die. She wanted Shepard to live. It was this thought that drove her onwards, kept her going. Shepard had died once before and Cerberus had brought her back, if they could do it why not her? It was possible too: Liara had been in touch with various experts in the fields of biology, medicine and cybernetics and they had confirmed it. It was all theory to them, nothing even close to the Lazarus project but it was a start. She knew what was needed.

Garrus was about to give up hope and return to the gun battery when the door to Liara's cabin slid open.

She looked terrible. Her eyes where puffy and swollen with a tired, haunted look that Garrus had never seen there before. She was dressed in her armoured lab coat outfit that looked like she had been wearing it for weeks, which she probably had. As he watched fresh tears began to well in her crystal clear blue eyes so he pulled her into a fiercely tight hug. After thirty seconds of sniffling into his pauldron she disengaged.

"Thanks Garrus." She said weakly. Garrus tried to stop is mandibles fluttering in concern without success.

"Hey, hey it's okay, how about we find you something to eat? I'll be right here."

Under different circumstances Liara probably would have felt patronized but now she couldn't muster the energy to be angry. She let herself be led by the hand to a table in the mess hall and ate with her head bowed when Garrus brought her a tray. She did her best to ignore the stares of the human nightshift crew that where sharing the room with them. To tell the truth Shepard had been one of only two humans she had ever been fully comfortable with, the other being Kadian. But now all she saw was strange alien faces.

"So um…uh…" Garrus racked his brain for a topic of conversation but eventually settled on clearing his throat.

"It's fine Garrus. You don't have to baby me. I'm fine." The scarred Turian looked unconvinced.

"I can't lie to you Liara I didn't come to see you just to get you to eat something. Admiral Hacket is holding a state funeral for Shepard today aboard the Destiny Ascension. I thought you might want to be there." Suddenly she could muster the energy to be angry. She stood up so quickly that the blood rush made her dizzy.

"WE DON'T KNOW SHE'S DEAD!" the mutter of casual conversation died away abruptly and everyone turned to stare. Garrus did not look embarrassed. He spoke gently.

"Not for sure but we need to face facts. It's been three months with no word and the blast from the crucible damaged the relays which we all thought were indestructible. Shepard was at the epicentre of that blast. She's gone Liara and she isn't coming back. Not this time."

He looked at his food awkwardly after speaking as if he realised that he had said more than he intended. Liara's initial rage ebbed, Garrus was grieving too, this was just his way of showing it. When he looked up again his gaze was apologetic.

"Please come to the service. It would mean a lot to me, Tali and Kadian too."

"Okay."

August 25th2186. The Destiny Ascension. Serpent nebula. 10:00 ST.

Admiral Hacket was the first speaker. He stood on the podium looking every inch the weary, distinguished soldier that he was. Rumour had it that since the end of the war all that stress had finally caught up with the old man. He certainly didn't look like his old self.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the live of Elizabeth Shepard."

'His voice is still strong at least.' Thought Liara from here place in the second row.

"It is a testament to her both as a soldier and as a human being that so many, of all different species, have come to mourn with us today. I'll start by telling you the parts you already know. Elizabeth (or Ellie as she preferred to be called) was born on earth, Shanghai…"

Liara stopped listening almost immediately; during the times that she had bonded with Shepard she had experienced all of her memories and visa versa, Hacket couldn't tell her anything she didn't already know. Absentmindedly she tugged at her cuff as she thought. Just before the service she had gotten a nasty shock to realise that she had nothing to wear. She only had four outfits, two of which were armour, which left the black 'combat lab coat.'

Her gaze drifted to the screen behind Hacket, it was displaying a picture of Shepard, a graduation photo by the look of it. A pang of heart wrenching longing hit Liara like a physical blow. It was the first time see had seen an image of her since her disappearance. The way her auburn hair floated in the breeze, her dark green eyes twinkled, her face captured during one of her rare cocksure smiles, it was all too familiar. It made it all too real.

I spent two years mourning you, so if we're going to try this I need to know you're always coming back.

Closing her eyes Liara tuned into the bond. She could feel it at the back of her skull like a second heart beat.

During the final battle in London she had offered Shepard a gift, something she had described to her years before on the original Normandy but hadn't thought herself ready for until that moment. The way she had explained it was as a bond that transcended time and space, and it did. Even though Shepard was thousands of light years away and possibly dead Liara could still feel her reassuring presence enveloping her like a warm blanket. Her confidence, her strength and her empathy all lived on in her. She would carry the ghost of her love on her back forever.

There was something else too. Something she wasn't sure she wanted to think about given everything else that was going on. Before the assault on Cerberus headquarters she and come to Shepard's cabin and they had shared one last night together. During their meld Liara's resolve had slipped. Despite Shepard's reassurances she was afraid. Afraid of dying, afraid of losing and most of all afraid of losing Shepard again. So she had lowered her mental barriers and allowed all of Shepard's memories, experiences and even her very DNA into herself, triggering the most basic of Asari instincts, randomising DNA and providing the catalyst to a new life.

Liara placed a hand on her belly. It would be a long time before she had anything to show for it but, one day, she would be a mother.

Admiral Hacket was just finishing his speech. "…Will never see her like again."

'Not if I have anything to say about it.' Thought Liara with grim determination.