*SSV NORMANDY*
"Shepard, this is Williams." The Gunnery Chief's voice crackled through his com.
Kraven jolted back awake after starting to doze. "Go ahead, Ashley."
"We've got a visitor. Has the doc cleared you yet?"
He glanced over at Doctor Chakwas who was seated at her desk. She swiveled her chair slightly to glare at him out of the corner of her eye. "You should really stay another few hours until I'm sure you won't suffer any prolonged effects from your concussion."
"Not the first time someone's rang the bell Karen." He pointed out while carefully trying to maneuver himself to make a hasty exit if the diplomatic approach failed.
"That's precisely what worries me." She scoffed.
He set his feet on the floor. His world still felt like he was being swirled in a fishbowl, but he was confident he could compensate this time. "On my honor as an N7 candidate, I promise to be on my best behavior and take it easy."
She fully turned to face him. "To you, taking it easy is getting into a fist fight in some pub."
He let out a short laugh as he remembered the last time he'd visited M'Connell's before being posted to the Normandy. Good times. "Granted, but I don't foresee any bars in our immediate future. Besides, if we follow up with this lead on Noveria we're going to be surrounded by mountains of snow. If the old brain bucket gets rattled again I can just stick my head in a drift for a few minutes."
He could tell he was cracking her resolve when the corner of her mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. At the very least it helped that he didn't have to explain his idioms. "Very well, Commander. But if you end up here again, I'm putting you on strict bed rest for a week."
He held up his hands in surrender as he almost drunkenly started for the door. Nothing like being grounded by the ship's medic. "Yes ma'am."
She shook her head and sighed as he left thinking something akin to what a protective mother would be for a wayward child. 'What am I going to do with that boy?'
He made his way to the elevator as he opened the com to Ashley again. "Just cleared but on probation. Still in the cargo bay?"
"Aye, Skipper. We're offloading our gear."
"Roger that. Be down in oh…" He glanced at the non-existent watch on his wrist as he stepped into the lift despite no one being around to see the sarcastic gesture. "20 minutes."
She snickered. "You know you could put through a work order with the Alliance when we get back and retrofit the darn thing."
"And miss out on the HOURS of quality bonding time we have going between TWO floors? Get real, Chief."
"Just a suggestion. Your boat, your rules Skipper. Out."
After what actually felt like 20 minutes, the lift car came to halt on the cargo deck. He gingerly stepped out being careful not to let any residual balance issues show. He saw Williams, Alenko, Vakarian, and Wrex all transferring their gear and salvaged tech from the shuttle to Ashley's bench. Off to one side stood a nervous looking Asari he didn't recognize. Next to her was his requisitions officer who was keeping a single hand on the grip of his holstered pistol. Every few seconds, the Asari's eyes seemed to flick over to the artifact on the Gunnery Chief's work bench before returning to a spot on the floor.
He walked over as smoothly as he could manage. "So. How'd it go? Good haul?"
Garrus straightened from the crate he'd just deposited on the deck to walk over to the Commander. "Good would be an understatement. We managed to salvage an almost undamaged plasma cannon from an Armature. The boys back at C-Sec would be slobbering like Varren if I showed them a gun like this."
"Any chance we'll get to use it?"
The Turian shook his head. "I doubt we can jury rig anything to use as a firing platform, and it's definitely too much for anyone to hand carry."
"Speak for yourself." Wrex griped as he rumbled past to grab another crate of salvage.
Garrus ignored him. "Plus, I'm sure you've noticed our Asari guest?"
Shepard nodded. "I did, indeed. What's her story?"
Garrus' voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. "That is the daughter of one Matriarch Benezia."
The significance of that revelation was not lost on the Commander. "Explains why you have her under guard. Your thoughts?"
"What's that expression you use? I'm on the fence? On paper I wouldn't trust her a single iota. Except we had to rescue her from a Krogan backed up by some of Saren's Geth."
Kraven openly appraised the jittery, blue woman. "Well, if she's deep cover she's either really good, or really bad at it. Regardless, I want to keep an eye on her until we can figure out just what she's all about."
"Agreed."
"Well I suppose I'd better go introduce myself. Get the rest of this stuff unpacked then you four go grab some food and bunk time. We'll meet in the debriefing room in 6 hours to go over the mission."
"Sounds good Commander." Garrus gave a crisp salute then went back to helping unload their landing craft.
"Everyone else hear that?" Shepard asked as he headed over to greet the Asari. The other three nodded in response. He stepped up in front of the newcomer and crossed his arms. She visibly tried to avoid his eyes. Not a good start. "I'm Commander Shepard. Who might you be?"
He slowly extended his hand. She looked at it for several moments like she was watching a coiled cobra ready to strike. He considered retracting it but she eventually raised her own to take his. He felt a noticeable tremble emanating from her fingers. She was scared.
"Liara T'Soni." She timidly responded after their awkward handshake.
"Do you mind if I ask what you were doing here on Therum?"
Her eyes lifted to lock with his. He could tell she knew what he was doing. "I'm a Prothean expert that is part of an archeological expedition sent to help excavate the ruins here."
"Sent by whom?"
"The Galactic Historical Council on Thessia."
"Find anything interesting?"
"Apart from the security grid your crew found me in, I had not uncovered anything of significant importance."
He kept his face an impassive mask as he continued his line of questioning. "Any idea why a Krogan mercenary working with Geth would want to kidnap you?"
Her eye twitched slightly. "No."
"It's a good thing my people got there when they did, then. No telling what might have happened otherwise. Do you have any family? Anyone who'd be looking for you if you went missing?"
She hesitated for a few seconds before answering. Although her eyes never left his. "My mother."
"Ah. It is in the nature of a mother to worry. Have you heard from her recently?"
He could see the barest hint of color starting to darken her cheeks. "Not since she left to join the Spectre, Saren Arterius."
He'd gone fishing, and landed a big one. Her blunt reply was exactly what he was looking for. Now to put it to bed. "And you're aware of what Saren's been up to?"
"I have heard that he has gone rogue attacking Human colonies, and that another Spectre has been sent to apprehend him."
"And if your mother was caught in the crossfire?"
"… She made her choice to help him. I cannot begrudge any consequences she might receive for her decision."
He relaxed his posture and offered his hand one more time. She tentatively took it and he shook warmly. "Then welcome aboard."
She didn't even begin to hide the shock displayed on her face at the sudden shift. "Um… Thank you."
He directed his attention to his requisitions officer for a moment. "We're good here Sorenson. I'm sure you have plenty of stuff to get posted on the extranet. Just let me know if you come across any big ticket items we might be able to use instead of selling."
"You bet, Commander." The young man didn't waste any time cracking open one of the crates, and getting to work.
Shepard returned his gaze to Liara who's visage he now realized looked incredibly haggard, and gaunt. "Unfortunately, for the time being you're going to need to stay with us until we can figure out what Saren wanted with you. There's a spare office behind the med bay we can set you up in for now."
"That is very kind of you Commander, but aren't you worried about my… Allegiances?"
"Don't get me wrong, I still haven't made up my mind about you but l if you're thinking of trying anything funny, you've seen firsthand what my team can do. If the threat of violence from one of them isn't enough to keep you honest, then you can rest assured it would be a sweet mercy compared to what I'm capable of." He kept his tone light but made sure her situation was crystal clear.
"Understood, Commander." She replied with a subtle gulp.
"Now it looks like you've been through hell in a handbasket. Get yourself up to the Medbay for a once over with the Doc then grab some chow and some sleep. It's up one floor in the lift then on the left. We're meeting in the briefing room in 6 hours which is on the command deck. If you need help figuring out where to go just ask one of the crew."
"Thank you, Commander… Um you will have to forgive me, but what does that mean 'hell in a handbasket'?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Oh lord, not another one.' He didn't voice his dismay. "It means you've been through a really rough time and it shows."
"Oh…" She said thoughtfully. "I appreciate your concern but I can assure you I am going to be fine. Actually, I would like the opportunity to look over the relic you have over there if…"
He raised his hand to forestall her request. "I wasn't asking. Get yourself checked out, grab a bite to eat, and get a few hours of sleep. Once we're done with the meeting at 1400, and if there's time before we get to Noveria, then we can talk about letting you take a look. Deal?"
She looked ready to protest but in the end resigned herself not to push her temporary host. "Very well, Commander Shepard. I suppose I will talk to you in a few hours."
He stepped aside and gestured toward the elevator. "Sweet dreams."
*SSV NORMANDY*
"So using the mining laser started a cave-in, then you had to fight through the Krogan Battlemaster to escape?" Shepard asked. Nearly 3 full days cooped up in the med bay had made him a little stir crazy. Even if he was unconscious for most of it. He was doing well at keeping a straight face but in reality he was absolutely jealous of missing out.
A fact that the normally placid and reserved Kaidan was taking full advantage of. "Not only that, but there was molten sulfur pouring into the chamber from all sides. We almost didn't make it out before the whole place came down!"
"Wow. Sounds like a hell of a thing." He wanted to pester them for more details, but decided it was best to catch up with them individually later. He turned to a rather uncomfortable looking Liara. "Which brings us to you. How are you feeling?"
She sat ramrod straight. "I have explained as much as I can Commander."
"You've explained everything to me. However I was hoping you'd be up for sharing with the rest of the class."
She sat mutely staring at the floor.
He sighed inwardly. "How about you start with your name, and what you were up to in the ruins."
She slowly started off introducing herself, and explaining some of her work at which point he interrupted her. "Oh, that reminds me. Did you end up going back down to check out that relic?"
She nodded. "Yes. Your Ms. Williams was kind enough to let me look it over. I would need to do some in depth tests to gain a clearer picture of what it is and where it originated from, but I can say with complete certainty that it is Prothean."
Ashley, who looked none-too-thrilled with having had the Asari invading her work space didn't seem convinced. "What makes you say that?"
Liara seemed not to notice the Gunnery Chief's prickly tone. "There are several strings of glyphs running along the length of the blade. Some of it is badly damaged, but I recognize them as a rather obscure dialect from the outer rim. It would take some time to translate, but I believe I can uncover a great deal with enough time to study it."
Shepard mulled this over for a moment. "Do you know how to fight?"
She recoiled slightly at the seemingly off topic, blunt question. "I am naturally biotic like all Asari, and have at times had to defend myself from aggressive wildlife with firearms."
"Perfect. Then I'll make you a deal."
Her face dropping spoke more than any of her overly polite words could.
He had to suppress a chuckle. "I'll have the sword moved up to your quarters so you can study it to your heart's content, but on one condition."
"What condition?"
"We need every edge and resource we can gather to take down Saren. He seems particularly interested in Prothean tech, so having an expert along who can shed some light on what he's looking for would be invaluable."
Not surprisingly Ashley was the first to voice a protest. "Hang on, Skipper. How do we know we can trust her? She admitted herself that her own mother is in league with Saren!"
"I hear you Chief, and I admit I'm taking a risk here, but everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves based on their own merits. You of all people should understand that." He calmly countered without missing a beat.
The Gunnery Chief's mouth hung agape for a second before snapping shut while scarlet slowly crept up her neck.
He didn't like having to shut her down so hard like that, but her insistence on calling out every alien on the ship was starting to get old. He was new to working with different species himself which left a great deal of uncertainty. Liara's family ties were absolutely worth a large measure of caution. However, he had been given no reason to doubt any of his companions yet so making knee-jerk judgments about their motives based on biology wasn't acceptable. Ashley had shared with him the basis of where her mistrust stemmed from, and the events leading up to her family's disgrace which helped to give context to her perspective. Still, he needed unity and as long as this diverse collection of misfits had the same goals in mind he truthfully didn't care where they came from.
He resolved to set aside some time to hash things out with her later, and returned his attention to the meeting at hand. "So what do you say, Liara? Can we count on you?"
The Asari seemed utterly dismayed. "What choice do I have? If I refuse I run the risk of being hunted again which would put me in just as much danger as going with you."
"It's not all bad. Just think of all the obscure locations you'll be able to study on our mission. I'd wager there's bound to be some juicy finds along the way." His face turned grim for a moment as he leaned in a bit closer, and softened his voice. "And there may be a chance we can catch up to your mother. See if rescue might be an option."
The corners of her eyes started to glint with building moisture. "You... you are serious?"
He shrugged. "It's a long shot. The recording we have doesn't paint a very pretty picture, but I haven't ruled out the possibility that she may be with Saren against her will."
Liara looked ready to hug him. Fortunately for all present, she didn't. "Thank you, Commander! Yes. I will accompany you on your mission."
He grinned. "Excellent. We'll get you all set up in the med bay's office once the meeting is done. Which brings me to the final point of business I have." He looked from Kaidan to Wrex. "Memory is a bit fuzzy from the concussion, so I'm not one hundred percent clear on what happened in the Thorian's chamber. Either of you care to give me the details?"
Garrus rubbed his taloned hands together expectantly. "Here it comes."
The Krogan and Human biotics exchanged looks before Wrex started to retell what he'd seen. "I was in the middle of showing the two of you whelps how a real soldier gets things done. I was so far ahead I decided to slow down to let you both catch up a little. Then I saw you going Pyjak shit swinging that toy around like a madman. Almost made me feel like you might really have the quad to stand toe to toe with the master, but once the Thorian went down you passed out like a Salarian with heat stroke."
Shepard nodded solemnly. "I see, I see. And what brought the Thorian down?"
Wrex immediately clamped his mouth shut and folded his arms across his chest.
Kaidan didn't seem thrilled with answering either, but a pointed stare from his superior officer broke down his resolve. "You did Commander."
Kraven didn't even try to hide the grimly satisfied smile. "You don't say."
"But you passed out, and needed a medevac." Wrex growled. "That means you lost by default."
"You're right. If I was unconscious when the contest was still going on and needed to be rescued, then I lose fair and square." He glanced over at Tali and gave her a wink. She was glad he couldn't see her cheeks blushing. "So if either of you wracked up points after I was sawing logs, then I concede."
He looked between the competitors expectantly. A growing sense of elation puffing up his chest when neither came forward. "None? Then is it safe to assume that I've come out as the victor of this particular contest?"
Wrex tried to object. "Big or not, the shrub only counts as one."
Kaidan resignedly shook his head. "The Thorian was one point, but you saw as well as I did that all the Creepers who were left dropped dead at the same time. Technically, all those points go to Shepard for cutting the strings."
"Teacher's pet." Wrex grumbled under his breath.
The Commander couldn't help grinning from ear to ear. Honestly, he was prepared to accept a humble defeat and likely would have if not for happening across the Prothean blade. Still, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Then the two of you will be referring to me as Sensei until our next trip to the Citadel. That still leaves who came in third, though. On the count of three I want you both to say your total number of points at the same time. Understood?"
"Yes." They both said at once.
"Yes?" He trailed off.
"Yes, Sensei." Kaidan corrected.
"Guh... Yes, Sensei." Wrex spat like he tasted something disgusting.
"Much better. Alright. One... Two..."
"Commander." Joker's voice broke over the intercom.
"What is it, Joker?"
"We're coming up on Noveria. I've got the Port Hanshan docking official on the line, but it looks like they're playing hard to get."
"I'll be up in a second, Joker. Just have to take care of a little unfinished business." He glanced between the two expectant biotics. "Time to wrap this up. One... Two... Three!"