A/N: Right, the promised visit to Hagalaz is here, and now I'm off to catch the train. I doubt I'll have internet access in the place where I'm going to, so I won't be able to respond to reviews until I get back!
I also expect to have a backlog of stories to read and review once I get back, hopefully you'll all have a productive week and will leave me with a LOT to do. :D
Chapter 29 - Visiting With the Shadow Broker
The docking bay doors seal behind Morgan Shepard, leaving her standing in the long, narrow hallway, leading up to the Shadow Broker's operations center. She smiles broadly, seeing Liara standing at the other end of the hallway, hands folded over her chest, waiting for her. "Come on, Liara! Drop the dignity for once!" she shouts, stopping in her path. "Show me how much you've missed me!"
Liara grins and starts to run towards her. As she reaches Morgan, the asari jumps on her, wrapping her legs around Shepard's waist. As Morgan falls back against the sealed door, tackled by her asari lover, Liara does her best to succeed in her delightful attempts at suffocating Shepard in a tight embrace. It has been two weeks at most since their last meeting, but the kisses exchanged are hungry, needy, almost ravenous.
Recapturing the physical closeness they have both longed for, slowly allows them to relax, now that they can again hold each other in their arms, safe, real. "Better?" Liara asks, wrapping her arm around Morgan's waist as they walk down the hallway and towards the Broker's secret 'lair'.
"Much better," Morgan smiles. "I should have stopped by sooner. But you know..."
"Of course," Liara nods. "I have a lot of interesting things to show you, by the way. Nothing new about the Collectors or Reapers, but there's plenty of other information."
They walk through the main hall which houses all monitoring consoles and data terminals, then climbing up a set of steps to a small chamber, the only furniture in it several well used sofas and a small video archive terminal. The young drell, Feron, is sitting on one of the sofas, typing something on his datapad, trying his best to ignore the small VI drone that is molesting him with some useless advice. "Oh... hello, Shepard," he seems surprised, looking up at her.
"Hello, Feron," Shepard smiles at the drell. He seems to be doing fine, at least physically. It would be pretty stupid to expect someone to be mentally healthy after two years of torture. "How are you doing?"
"It... gets better each day," Feron says quietly, then adding as if having read her thoughts. "Shepard, I wasn't strapped in that chair all the time."
"Well, thank the gods for that," Shepard says, shaking her head. I don't imagine that makes it much easier. "Are you planning to stay on with Liara once you've sufficiently recovered?"
"I haven't thought as far as that, Shepard," Feron confesses. "But I know the true identity of the Shadow Broker. Maybe it would not be smart for me to leave."
"Don't speak like that, Feron," Liara says, looking a little upset.
"I was not being serious, Liara," the drell replies, getting up from the sofa. "Anyway, you two probably want some privacy... I have some much needed maintenance work that has been put off for too long..."
"Oh, just one more question before you leave, Feron," Shepard calls after him. "Is Liara eating regularly? Is she getting enough sleep?"
"I'm right here!" Liara fumes. "Why don't you ask me!"
"Because you would just lie to me, babe," Morgan chuckles, much to Liara's consternation.
"Uh... well..." Feron looks as if he's deciding which one of them he fears most, before replying. "Sorry, Liara, but for the past four nights I've caught you asleep at your desk," he finally says. "Shepard, she's been like glued to those archives..." and with that he quickly flees, before Liara has managed to accuse him of treachery.
"Really, Liara," Shepard turns towards her lover, sighing deeply. "Yes, the data in those archives are very important, but they're not going anywhere. The least you could do is to make sure to get enough sleep."
Liara sighs. "I just... want to find something that would really help you, Morgan. I... I'll try to be... ah, less obsessive about it."
"Where do you sleep anyway? Do you have some sort of private quarters here?" Shepard asks.
"Probably... I just haven't found them yet," Liara mutters. Shepard gives her a reproachful glare. "Whenever I haven't passed out at my desk, I usually end up sprawled out in one of these sofas..."
"Maybe I could hack that little drone to give you an electric jolt as a reminder to take a bit more care of yourself," Shepard chuckles as they both sit down on one of the sofas, Liara's hand slipping into hers, warm and comforting. "Or maybe I'll just have another talk with Feron before I have to depart, make sure he keeps looking out for you."
"About that," Liara looks at her more seriously. "I... have been studying human behavioral patterns, and I was fearing that Feron's presence here might make you... well, uncomfortable and..."
"Jealous?" Morgan asks.
"Yes," Liara shyly admits. "I mean, I do not know as much about humans as I would like to, but you... don't appear very jealous?"
"I just don't think you went through all that to bring me back from the dead only to cheat on me after I have returned," Morgan winks at her. "I know my Liara. She would never do that," she says, leaning closer to her lover.
"No. She wouldn't," Liara whispers, accepting the lingering kiss from which they separate only with great reluctance.
"I have been thinking about something that worries me a bit, Liara," Shepard speaks up a little later. "Through my helping with Feron's rescue, it occurs to me that now Cerberus also knows about you being the Shadow Broker, and they know your location. I can't imagine Lawson hasn't made her report yet."
"Yes, I'm aware," Liara nods. "He won't hit me while he still requires your aid, Morgan. Once The Illusive Man no longer needs you, all bets are off. The attack will come sooner or later."
"I was just thinking that considering all those risks, I probably shouldn't forward any intel about Cerberus to Hackett and Alliance, as I promised I would," Shepard says thoughtfully. "If The Illusive Man starts to suspect that I might be planning to betray him, he might..."
"I understand. Suddenly I no longer feel like an asset but a weakness," Liara turns away. "I knew this ship would be only a temporary location and sooner or later I would need to move."
"You're my greatest asset, don't be silly," Morgan says softly, pulling the asari back close.
"It's kind of you to say so, Morgan," Liara manages a smile. "And I already had all the data for you. At least two active Cerberus cells that the Alliance could take out. But... perhaps you are right, it would be too risky. But if you don't deliver the promised intel to the Alliance, wouldn't they start to suspect that you've gone completely over to Cerberus?"
"I don't know, Liara. I hope not, but I'm not exactly up to date with what's going on with the Alliance, spending all my time out in the Terminus Systems or Traverse."
"You know, while looking for that Cerberus intel, I think I came across files on all of your squadmates, without exception," Liara says. "I can get them for you, if you want to have a look."
Shepard hesitates a little. "I'm... not sure, it's not entirely... ethical. I don't exactly trust some of them, so... maybe it would be useful to see what you have on Lawson and Taylor at least."
Liara fiddles a little with her omni-tool, then quickly uploading all the relevant data to Shepard who immediately starts going over it. She starts with Miranda's files, browsing embarrassing extranet dating service records, excerpts from chats with her sister Oriana, medical records... and there, Shepard swallows heavily, blushing as she swiftly deletes all dossiers one by one. Shit, I... I really didn't need to see that one. Damn, I wish I hadn't given in to the temptation. Oh, Miranda, that's tough. That... breaks my heart, even if I hardly like you...
"What's the matter, Morgan?" Liara asks, puzzled.
"I can't do it, Liara," she replies. "It's too personal. I just... learned something about Lawson that I had no right to know." Liara doesn't ask, but the question still lingers unspoken in her blue eyes. "She can't have children. Probably all that genetic engineering fucking something up. Aw shit, now I'm going to feel sorry for her..."
"I agree, that is... not the kind of information critical to your mission," Liara says. "I understand that you want to respect the secrets of your friends and squadmates. I want you to know that I did not read those dossiers myself."
"It's okay, Liara," Shepard squeezes her lover's hand as she speaks. "That reminds me, though, there's someone I want you to keep a track on, or maybe check if you have something on them already."
"Give me a name, Morgan, and I'll see what I can do," Liara replies.
"Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh, member of the quarian Admiralty Board," Shepard says, Liara's eyes widening a little in surprise.
"Getting intel from the Migrant Fleet is... very difficult," Liara confesses. "What in particular interests you about this quarian?"
"I think this Daro'Xen is very dangerous. When we went to the Migrant Fleet with Tali, we spoke a little with her. Xen's ideas are... extreme and insane, and if she ever gets her way, I fear the whole Migrant Fleet might be in danger. And with the return of the Reapers imminent, I cannot allow this madwoman to destroy an asset like the Flotilla against the geth," Shepard explains. "A few days ago, she sent me a message that frankly scared the shit out of me. She was ranting about the quarian people reclaiming not only their homeworld, but also the largest synthetic army in the galaxy. Whatever plans she has for the geth... they are dangerous."
"That does sound important," Liara nods. "Wait here, I'll just run downstairs and check if the archives have something on her already."
While Liara is gone, Shepard just sits for a while, thinking, before her attention turns to the video archive in the middle of the room. She walks up to it, bringing up the touch interface and simply putting some videos to be played by random selection. There are all sorts of recordings, mostly from hacked security camera streams, some by carefully planted bugs. She watches brief files on people like Aria T'Loak and Captain Bailey on the Citadel, before coming up on a very gruesome vid of a krogan by the name of Urdnot Tursk on Tuchanka, throwing a captured salarian into the fighting pit and then immediately sending two varren after the hapless prisoner.
The salarian tries to desperately jump out of the pit, but the varren fall on him, taking out huge chunks of his flesh, sending showers of green blood and gore spraying like veritable fountains as the salarian falls back into the pit. His screams last for a long while, and together with the sickening sounds of varren tearing his flesh, feeding themselves, it all makes Morgan's stomach lurch, but there is also something... disturbingly addictive about this vid and she simply cannot stop herself from watching it more and more, it is like a glorious train wreck that one simply cannot take their eyes away from.
Finally, she stops herself with sheer force of will, switching to the next vid, blinking in surprise when she hears the VI drone announcing the subject on the file. It is Matriarch Aethyta, that weird but likable bartender from Nos Astra. But even that is not the most surprising in the whole matter, as Shepard immediately recognizes the framed picture of a younger asari on the table in front of Aethyta, the matriarch sitting there with a glass of elassa in her hand and a pensive expression in her eyes.
Just then Liara returns and Shepard quickly switches off the video archive. "I'm sorry, Morgan, but there's nothing on this Daro'Xen so far. I've alerted three of my agents to put her on the watch list, with any luck I will have something soon," she says.
"Sounds good," Shepard nods distractedly. "Liara... have you gone through this video archive yet?"
"I've barely skimmed the surface," Liara admits. "It's the least interesting source of information here. There's not much to learn from bits and pieces of old security footage."
"Well... let me just show you something, and maybe then you will change your mind about it not being interesting," Morgan grins, reactivating the video archive and searching for the file on Aethyta.
"Matriarch Aethyta. She was working as a bartender in the Eternity Lounge," Liara says. "I always thought that a little odd, but... to be honest, Shepard, it's still not particularly interesting."
"Oh really. Let's see now," Shepard stops the video and zooms in the part of the screen with Liara's picture. "Take a look at this, then. Do you have any idea why Matriarch Aethyta would be pensively staring at your picture?"
Liara remains quiet for a very long time. "Yes," she finally says, eyes fixed on the vid. "Yes, I... can think of a reason."
Morgan steps closer to Liara, sensing that the asari is upset, rattled from seeing this. "But you will not elaborate?"
"Not before I'm certain," Liara shakes her head.
"Would it really kill you to tell me of your suspicions?" Morgan teases, a little impatient. Instead, Liara simply presses against her, framing her cheeks with her palms and reaching close to gently kiss her on the lips, with the desperately obvious intent to stop this line of questioning.
Between the kisses, Morgan manages to stop Liara. "Okay, I guess I'll just arm myself with patience... again," she smiles.
"Please, Morgan," Liara whispers. "Do not push this. It could prove to be... a sensitive issue. Give me time."
Could it be... oh gods, yes, Aethyta spoke of Benezia. She even sounded upset. And now she's watching Liara... her father. Liara thinks she might be her father, Morgan suddenly realizes, freezing, and that subtle movement is enough for Liara to understand what she is thinking. "Don't make me say anything before I am certain," she says softly.
"Okay, I won't," Morgan promises, gently rocking Liara in her arms.
"Morgan?" she hears Liara's voice, soft and alluring.
"Yes?"
"I... I feel like I am suffocating here. I need to get off this ship, at least for a short while. It's... getting a bit too much."
Morgan pulls away, the serene expression in Liara's eyes moving the very depths of her soul. "My quarters on Normandy?"
A promising smile appears on Liara's indigo lips. "Perfect for what I have in mind..."