It was liquid fire in her blood.

Boiling, churning, raging...

And then ice, crystallising into into a purple flash flying forth from her hands.

The last Krogan baring their way cried out...and was then lifted off his feet by the biotic power smashing into his wide chest, sending him tumbling over the railing and down the long fall of the cliff-side Saren's base was resting atop.

And then there was silence, only her heaving breaths as she with a force of will drew back the crackling power in her hand...and looked up at the door ahead.

They were outdoors on a walkway, a walkway splitting into two paths. The one to the right lead towards the large brooding shape of the main part of Saren's base...and the other to a far smaller structure where the sign above merely stated 'chamber'. What does that mean?

Then Wrex was plodding past her, his steps heavy as he pointed at the building. "You think that's Saren's chamber?" The hand moved down to his shotgun, ejecting a spent shell. "Think he's in it?"

"We'll find out." Michael retorted, he too brushing past Liara, his left shoulder stained with the orange blood of a slain Krogan.

Liara sighed, she felt tired, drained. There were so many enemies...and using biotics was taxing in even the best of situations. She knew that she could go on for a few more hours...but that didn't mean she was looking forward to more fighting. I wish I was back with my digs...

Saren brainwashed my mother...

The thought was so sudden, so surprising, that Liara blinked. Then she looked up, back at the building, and found her hands crackle with energy as she closed them into fists. He'll pay...

Jogging forth she caught up with the other two just as the door opened, her right fist lunging back to hurl a singularity into it...only to find her energy fade as she stared in surprise at the interior of the room.

There wasn't much in the room, it was square, undecorated, even lacking furniture. But the floor dropped rapidly ten feet into the room, making way for a grilled balcony of blackened steel that lead a further six feet into the room...

Right up to the beacon.

A green, glowing, perfectly preserved, Prothean beacon.

Her hands dropped to her sides, legs moving on their own as she followed the others into the room, staring. "W-where did Saren find this?"

"Who knows?" Wrex grunted, the Krogan shrugging in disinterest as he leant against the wall to the right, observing as Michael and Liara advanced closer. "I doubt it'll help us to get to Saren though, so just do that melding thing with it so we can continue."

"You can't just jump into such things!" Liara protested with a hiss, glaring back at Wrex...who only smirked in amusement. Impossible man...tell him off and he approves, ignore your injuries and he approves...Krogan. "Who knows what information a completely whole beacon contains? It could shred our minds when we tried to communicate it for all we know."

"They haven't succeeded doing that to Michael yet." Wrex retorted with a smug smirk. "And now he understands the Protheans thanks to that commando...seems like a small risk."

By the goddess... "That doesn't prove anything, yes he has so far managed to deal with such vast and strange information, and yes he has now a better chance to deal with such, but this is an unknown thing, a new beacon may well carry new information, and who knows how much information a whole one can contain?"

"So it's okay to risk your life fighting Saren and his army of Geth...but not to plug into the Protheans version of the extranet?" Wrex chuckled at her, making Liara sigh.

At times I can't help but wonder if he's simply trying to get a rise out of me...ridiculous man. "Those are completely different things, battling the Geth is a necessary risk, to use the beacon – at least without ample preparations – isn't, and don't call it the extranet, their way of transmitting information is completely different and with a completely different purpose, this is important information, not...gossip."

"Ah." Wrex grinned at her...and Liara felt her foot tap the floor in irritation at the words to come. "So I'm sure the Protheans never did anything but look regal and speak of important matters of philosophy? Can't have the high and mighty race of your studies actually act like sentient organics can we? That would make them – and studying them – less...noble?"

"That's not what I'm..." Liara's hand moved up, fingers rubbing her temple. "Why are we even arguing?"

Wrex chuckled. "You are because I got you defensive." A shrug, teeth bared in a grin: "I am to distract you from what Michael's doing."

"Wha...?" Turning Liara felt panic grip her heart at the sight of Michael, unheeding of her arguments, stepped up to the beacon, arms out wide, as if about to embrace it. "Michael you can't-!"

Too late.

With a sudden glow of power from the beacon Michael was lifted off the ground, his arms straining outwards as they jerked with a spasm while his back arched backwards, becoming taut like a bow as his body went rigid.

And Liara could only stare, mouth open.

She had heard how it looked, even seen videos of fools that stepped in front of damaged beacons and then had their minds ripped asunder...yet it didn't fully translate to actually seeing it yourself.

It made her feel...small.

To have such technology...the Protheans were very powerful.

She didn't like to think about what that meant to their own chances of defeating the Reapers.

The glow intensified, turning Michael into nothing but a cross-shaped shadow as the green light made Liara turn her head sideways, eyes narrowing as she raised a hand towards it...

A final flash...and Michael landed on one knee, arms dropping to his sides and head lowered.

Is he...? Liara straightened, watching Michael's heaving back with relief, realising he was breathing...yet otherwise he didn't move a muscle.

Silence.

Her steps seemed painfully loud in the room as she moved closer, head cocked as she observed Michael, worries of his fate still lingering in the back of her mind. "Michael...are you well?"

Silence.

Then the tiniest of whispers: "Yes..."

Liara's shoulders sagged with relief even as she smiled in excitement: "What did you see?"

Finally he moved, still on one knee the marine turned his head to the right. The green glow of the beacon reflecting in his visor, making the scar over his eye glow a dark green. There was the tiniest of smiles on his lips...and Liara found herself shivering.

"Hope..."

Liara swallowed, then found her smile widening, despite it not being a real answer, despite her curiosity...the simple word spoken by a man that didn't know what hope was...it made her chest swell with belief...if not for the future then at least for him...

Then the light changed, the green fading into yellow, amber...and then a dark red, making the scar over Michael's eye look like blood.

Liara looked up...and found her mouth go dry as she saw black cracks appear in the beacon that now glowed a crimson red.

"There is no hope."

The voice, dark and deep, reverberated within the chamber even as the glow of the beacon intensified...projecting a picture of a ship Liara had seen in her dreams far too often...

Sovereign...

"Pathetic creatures of flesh and blood, touching my mind in your blundering."

Michael smoothly rose to his feet, the man narrowing his eyes at the hologram. "You're not Saren..."

"Saren, a creature greater then you, yet even he is but another insect." The hologram glowered brightly, the 'eyes' of the great ship looking back at Michael.

"You're..." Michael looked down at his feet even as Liara felt the realisation flood her as well. Indoctrination, Saren's worry, a ship larger than the Geth should be able to produce, her mother, Shiala, all talking of the ship...not as just a ship, but as a power. "...not a ship...you're a Reaper?"

"What you or the Protheans call us is irrelevant, you will all end. The cycle cannot be broken."

"Those before the Protheans..." Liara whispered, taking a step forward. "...you destroyed them too..."

"The cycle has continued for longer then you can imagine, and it will continue long after you are gone."

Michael took a step forward, the man's fists hitting the railing as he glared at the hologram. "Why?"

"Our reasons are beyond your understanding creature. Races evolve, develop, and are then destroyed, as it will always be."

"You're just one machine..."

"I am a nation, united and free of all weaknesses organics suffer. Soon the others will come, our numbers will be legion. You cannot win."

"But why..."

"Organic life is an accident." There was scorn in its voice. "You are weak, we are the peak of existence, you exist because we allow it, and will end because we demand it."

Liara watched Michael's hands as the tightened on the railing, his words coming through clenched teeth. "And we will stop you."

"Confidence born out of ignorance, we are eternal." The hologram throbbed, the cracks in the beacon widening. "We made the Mass Relays, we made the Citadel, your defences will fall."

Liara blinked, surprised she could even feel surprise after the shock of the sight before her. "Why would you make them only so we could find them...?"

"Organic life is unpredictable, we lead you down the path of of development we desire." There was a crack as a part of the beacon fell off. "Your every advancement, your every settlement, we have guided you there."

Michael voice was but a shocked whisper: "So you'll know what technology and defences you'll face...you've set the entire galactic civilisation up to be destroyed..."

"You cannot resist, you cannot fight, we know your every defence before you've even made it." A crack, a long part of the beacon falling to the floor with a crash. "There is no hope, you will fall."

Silence.

Michael breathing heavily, glaring down at his feet.

Then back up, eyes mere slits: "I will not accept that."

Silence.

The hologram observing him, weighing him up.

"This exchange is over."

A flash of crimson light...and the beacon shattered, momentarily blinding Liara as with a gasp she stumbled backwards and fell to the floor.

Then nothing, she and Wrex both struggling to their feet, staring at Michael as the marine stood leaning over the railing, head bowed and hands clenched tight, the beacon before him nothing but a smoking wreckage.

Silence.

Then Michael straightened, hand moving up to his helmet. "This is Shadow, what is it?"

Jokers voice held just a hint of panic as the pilot spoke: "Sir, Sovereign just appeared from behind the sun and is moving towards Virmire...really fast...did you piss it off or something?"

Michael turned, face grim. "Shadow acknowledges." His hand dropped, his gaze moving to the two in the team, eyes cold, refusing to feel the shock still shuddering through Liara. "You heard him, we have to hurry."

"T-that thing..." Liara pointed at the shattered beacon, finding her finger shaking. "...i-it's a..."

Michael gripped her hand, moving it down, eyes cold, but calm, boring into her...and Liara found her shaking stopping. "Let me worry about that..."

It was all too easy to accept...and Liara's shoulders slumped.

"O-okay."

8

8

8

Thanks to Abydos Jackson for tolerating me.