A/N: Extra schmaltzy ending for this chapter, so if you are allergic to fluff, consider taking some antihistamines. ;)
Chapter 67 - The Time Capsule
The first thing that Shepard does back on the Normandy is to head directly to the War Room to see Primarch Victus, while hoping to evade Wrex, and for once luck is on her side as she catches the turian leader all alone. "Primarch," she says, not bothering to smoothen the harsh undertones in her voice. "I assume that you have been briefed about the results of our mission."
"I have, yes," he admits slowly. "I understand that you are angry, Commander."
Shepard lets out a noncommittal grunt. "I just wish you had been more upfront with me, I mean, I was going to find out for myself anyway," she sighs.
"I was worried you would tell Wrex and jeopardize this alliance," Primarch admits.
"He might be pissed off even more about us not telling him," Shepard says. "And anyway, he probably knows by now. I saw krogan troops moving in to secure the place as we made our getaway."
"It was a difficult call to make. I trust you can see why. You are woman of great integrity, Commander, but I still do not know you very well," Victus explains. "In my place, would you have been able to put your people's future in the hands of their ancient enemies, and the last race that your people have been to war with? We were at each other's throats only thirty years ago, Commander."
"I didn't say that I disagreed with your decision," Shepard smiles thinly. "I would have probably done the same thing in your place. I simply said that I wished you hadn't done it."
"I see," Victus nods. He hesitates a little before speaking up again. "I owe you on a deeply personal level as well, Commander. You saved my son and ensured that he got the chance to restore his honor. And the honor of our family, which I had so... recklessly placed in jeopardy."
"I am sorry that he had to die," Shepard replies simply.
"My son died with the respect of his men. His sacrifice will be recorded in the histories of the Ninth Platoon, something any father would be proud of. The time for mourning will come later, when we are done with this war," Victus replies. "I am not the first father to lose his son in this war and I won't be the last."
Just then, their talk is interrupted by a large and angry krogan, charging into the War Room and looking extremely ticked off, glaring at them both, but Victus in particular. "What is this I have to learn about a doomsday bomb on my planet?" he bellows. "You should have told me, you coward! And you!" he turns towards Shepard. "Had to lure me away, hoping to take care of it quickly and silently? I thought our friendship meant something, tell me if I was wrong, Shepard!"
"We couldn't risk another galactic war!" Victus exclaims, not giving Shepard the chance to explain herself.
"Genophage wasn't enough for your people?" Wrex snarls. "You had to plant a bomb on my planet?"
"It was done centuries ago!" Victus protests defensively. "A mistake of our ancestors that we attempted to correct!"
A slender shape of an asari glides into the War Room, Aethyta swiftly interposing herself between Wrex on one side and Shepard and Victus on the other side. "Shepard had no knowledge of this bomb being planted by the turians, before she accepted this task. And while I agree that the Primarch needed to be honest, he has paid for his mistake. His son is dead, the Ninth Platoon wiped out," the asari speaks, and Wrex listens, not daring to interrupt her. "Your anger is understandable, but misplaced. You know where to direct it."
Wrex's only reply at first is an irritated and quiet growl. "If they pull another move like that, this alliance is off," he then says.
"I doubt they have another bomb planted on Tuchanka," Shepard tries to smile, then looking at the Primarch worriedly. "...err, do you?" Victus shakes his head in reply. "Just bear with us a little longer, Wrex. We're about to cure the genophage, damn it. This is hard for all of us."
Wrex scoffs at that statement. "I've got Reapers on my planet. A bomb that almost blew up my planet. And if those two fail, we have the genophage to make sure we all go extinct anyway." He glares at Shepard again. "So don't give me that 'we all have it hard' crap, Shepard. You have no idea."
"For the sake of your people, you will just have to summon a little more patience, Wrex," Aethyta says softly.
"I have already displayed an extraordinary patience for a krogan," Wrex says, shaking his head. "I don't know if there is any left."
"I'm sure there is," Aethyta smiles, gently patting Wrex on the hand. "After all, I know that you are an extraordinary krogan," she adds, making Wrex appear amusingly flustered and hesitant all of a sudden. Wow, she's really good at defusing situations like this, Shepard gives Aethyta and appreciative look. Though, I'm not sure I'd want to sleep with Wrex just to keep him in line.
Before Aethyta can embarrass Wrex any further, Mordin appears in the War Room, looking even more energetic and excited than usually. "Everyone here, excellent!" he addresses the gathering. "Tests verified. Results promising! Can synthesize for universal krogan immunity."
"Does that mean you will finally put your knife away?" Wrex says, looking relieved, discreetly rubbing his backside.
"Are you saying the cure is ready?" Morgan asks the salarian.
"Need at least twelve hours to finalize everything," Mordin replies. "Also need transmission vector. Cure useless if not given to entire species."
"Well..." Morgan tries to think of something. "Say, how was the genophage distributed originally? Maybe the same method could be used? It would provide for a beautiful symmetry, too."
"We used the Shroud facility," Primarch Victus admits quietly, facing away from the dark glare Wrex sends his way.
"The Shroud, of course! Constant global dispersion of air particles!" Mordin exclaims enthusiastically. "Built by salarians to repair the atmosphere of Tuchanka. Counteracted the damage from the nuclear war. Also demonstration of goodwill to krogan at the start of uplift process. Impressed population, combined with technological gifts, easy to gain krogan support against rachni." The Professor stops his explanation there, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Turian use of the Shroud also means original strain of genophage still stored in facility. Can use it as transmission vector. The Shroud will blanket Tuchanka with the cure."
Wrex breaks out in laughter, shaking his head at Mordin. "You are one clever little pyjak. That does sound like our best shot. And Shepard, I agree... it would be fitting to use the Shroud." Another glare at Victus follows.
"Yes, yes, we inflicted the genophage on your people," the Primarch exclaims, starting to lose his patience. "Does it really matter how exactly we did it?"
"Not after we cure the genophage," Shepard replies, then turning towards Mordin again. "Very well, finish your preparations and be ready. How is Eve's health?"
"Done all I could," Mordin shrugs his shoulders. "Should be enough."
"Alright. I think I'll use these remaining hours to try and get some rest," Morgan says, yawning a little, suddenly realizing how tired she is from her efforts at helping the turian platoon. Aethyta slips right beside her as she leaves the War Room. "Thanks for defusing the situation in there," she tells the asari gratefully.
"Don't mention it, babe," the matriarch smiles back. "I have my ways of handling krogan."
"I'll try to pretend that wasn't a dirty double entendre and will instead simply ask if you haven't seen Liara?" Morgan asks, grinning.
"I believe she went to the medbay to get herself patched up, after you got my daughter shot again," Aethyta's reproachful stare fails to convey any kind of harshness, however. "After that, she intended to speak with the Prothean. If you ask me, that guy is a pain in the ass," she leans closer to whisper in Shepard's ear. "Consider spacing him when she's not looking."
Shepard laughs. "It might come to that, yeah," she agrees, before turning towards the elevator with the intention to head back up to her quarters. "Damn that Prothy... this could take a while..."
"You ask a lot of questions, asari," Javik chuckles mockingly, standing at one of the newly installed water tanks in the cargo hold, for some reason vigorously washing his hands. "One could think you have never seen a Prothean before."
"The only Protheans I have seen have been indoctrinated," Liara replies tamely, still feeling rather intimidated by her severe host.
"They survived into this cycle?" Javik looks incredulous.
"Yes, but we called them 'Collectors'," Liara explains. "They were pawns of the Reapers. For a long time nobody even realized they had once been Protheans. Shepard had no choice but to destroy the ones she encountered. They were all indoctrinated, and had been for a long time... I'm sorry."
"Shepard fought them?" Javik asks. "But you did not?"
"I was... not with Shepard at the time," Liara confesses.
"Then the Commander deserves my gratitude for this act of mercy," Javik says, then giving Liara an unfriendly stare. "You, however... deserve only scorn for seeking to benefit from the Commander's efforts, while by your own admission doing nothing."
"What?" Liara exclaims, hurt by the unjust accusation. "I... that was not my intention at all! You are... very difficult to speak with."
"Good," Javik nods simply. "Why are you even interested in my people, asari?"
"The fate of the Protheans has always been an enigma to the galaxy," Liara replies, trying to remain polite. "They were like a mystery to solve, because we had no idea what caused your sudden and inexplicable downfall. I wanted to know what happened to your civilization. Why did such an enlightened race disappear?"
"Enlightened?" Javik stares at her, and she almost flinches at the unnerving expression in those four cold eyes.
"Well... all our discoveries seemed to point at that," she manages.
"And now that I am here?" Javik asks.
An honest answer or a vaguely evasive one? Honest or evasive? "I, err... imagine it is difficult to wake fifty thousand years later to a new galaxy," Liara tries.
"This cycle cares too much about what other species think," Javik shakes his head angrily. "Krogan, turian, salarian, all were primitives in my time! What good does their help do now?"
What sort of question is that? Isn't it obvious? "Well... we need their help to defeat the Reapers..."
"Then demand their help! Do not indulge their selfish requests! What will saving one krogan matter?" Javik is almost shouting at her and Liara finds herself slowly backing towards the exit.
"Excuse me?" she asks nervously.
"If they get in your way, destroy them!" Javik yells, and Liara waits no longer, turning around and fleeing the cargo hold, feeling her heart beating wildly.
They are nothing like the people I thought I dedicated my life to study, she feels like sobbing after jumping in the elevator and now having difficulties in selecting her destination, Morgan's quarters or her own. Aggressive imperialists who left the galaxy quaking in terror, not the noble benefactors, devoting themselves to thoughtful and considerate uplifting of other species.
My theories on them now seem full of romanticized nonsense, she feels her own cheeks burning with shame at her childishness. And all those professors who looked at me and nodded at my now worthless research, praising it because they did not know any better. Or perhaps they just did not dare to disagree with Benezia's daughter? Liara feels a few tears escaping her eyes, but she hastily brushes them away. He makes me want to just... to just tear my Serrice University diploma and erase all those wasted years from my life... I am no Doctor T'Soni... Gullible Fool T'Soni would be more appropriate...
Eventually she selects the crew deck and rushes to her quarters before anyone can see how upset she appears. It takes a while before she recovers her wits, slowly regaining her self-belief and determination. I found the Prothean blueprints that might just save the entire galaxy, she realizes. And I'm helping to decode them, my studies have not been for nothing, and I will not allow that bastard on the lower decks to ever make me feel like that again!
Her eyes fall on a little box on her desk, something she has been working on in her spare time. In a few hours, we're heading back down to Tuchanka, and coming back in one piece is not guaranteed, she thinks. It might be the last opportunity to show my little project to Morgan. With this thought, Doctor Liara T'Soni eventually reaches for the intercom.
Morgan is lounging on her bed, restless, despite knowing that she needs the sleep before this mission of paramount importance. The soft beep of intercom is a little unexpected, even more so because it is Liara. "Can I come up, Morgan?" she asks. "I have something to show you."
"Silly, you know you don't need a permission," Morgan gently chides her.
In a few moments, Liara appears in her quarters, carrying a little black box in her hands, looking at it as if it contained something incredibly precious. She places the box on the table and remains sitting on her knees next to it. "I have been thinking..." she starts in a heavy voice. "Of the knowledge we have gathered on the Reapers and how easily it could be lost again. So... I put a plan in motion to preserve things for the future."
"Good idea," Morgan says, sitting back on the sofa. "Though I hope the future generations will have no need of it, once we take care of everything."
"I hope so as well, but it is always recommended to have a backup plan," Liara says. She presses a button at the side of the box, bringing up a small holo screen, which she quickly manipulates with her agile fingers. The displayed projections reveal everything they have gathered so far. "It is a record of the galaxy. Information on the Reapers, relays, different cultures... and the Crucible blueprints."
Liara stops to give Shepard a tender look before continuing. "There is, however, one entry that I wanted your opinion on..."
"And that is?" Morgan asks, curious and moved from the entire idea.
Liara's fingers poke at the screen and it brings up the image of Shepard in her dress blues, saluting. "Your own," she says softly. "I would be honored to have your input. How would you like the history to remember you?"
Shepard rises sharply, turning away from Liara, suddenly finding the lump in her throat making it difficult to breathe. "I... I..." she struggles to speak.
"Morgan, is everything alright?" there is concern in the asari's voice.
"I don't like it," Morgan shakes her head. "Not like this, it... should not be like this."
"I... have I offended?" Liara sounds devastated. "I did not mean to, I am so sorry!"
"No! No... no, you have not offended," Morgan exclaims quickly. "But it shouldn't be me, not like this. Please... let me suggest something else instead." She quickly enables her omni-tool, browsing through a variety of images, until she finally finds the one she has been thinking of. She turns back towards Liara, attempting to upload her selected image to Liara's time capsule, and the asari lets out a gasp when she sees what has replaced the lonely saluting Commander Shepard. It is the picture of herself together with Shepard, both standing proudly side by side, presenting their findings before the Council, the image of the Crucible blueprints displayed by her omni-tool. Liara looks so deadly serious and taken as she addresses the Council, and Morgan's face is swelling with adoration and pride as she looks at her lover.
"No... I... I just couldn't assume such honor, Morgan... it would be unprofessional of me..." Liara stutters, overcome with emotion. "Besides... I have not done anything to deserve this..."
"Perhaps they are right when they say that we wouldn't have a chance to defeat the Reapers without me," Morgan faces her as she speaks seriously. "But they forget that I would not have come all this way without you, Liara. Never. For that alone I will have you written in the stars alongside me. It will be this way or not at all, I insist."
"You... you know I can't deny you," Liara sighs, defeated, but happy beyond description. "What do you say if... I will speak the words about you, and you do the same for me?"
"Sure, go ahead," Morgan nods. "You first."
"Alright..." Liara rises from the floor and begins pacing as she speaks. "Earth's most famous officer was born and raised in space. Commander Morgan Shepard was a deadly tactical fighter and most enemies never saw her coming. She was a soldier, and a leader, and she made peace wherever she could. And it was a privilege to know her."
"Okay, my turn," Morgan sits down again, thinking of what to say. "Dr. Liara T'Soni was the foremost Prothean expert of her day. Through her dedicated research and knowledge, the blueprints for the Crucible were recovered. Dr. T'Soni was not known only for her keen intelligence and fierce dedication, she was also a highly skilled biotic and her loyalty to Shepard was unwavering. And it was a privilege to love her."
"What... did I say something wrong?" she asks then, looking at Liara in surprise, seeing the tears streaming down her lover's cheeks.
"Goddess, Morgan..." Liara exclaims, leaping on her like a crazed panther, and Shepard suddenly finds herself kissed with ferocity never before witnessed in her lover, the asari's hands insistently peeling her out of her uniform as if she has taken Aethyta's advice close to heart. "Goddess, please, I beg you..." Liara half-sobs, half-whispers, her needy kisses and caresses quickly setting Shepard on fire. "Goddess, please, grant me an eternity with her... my love for her knows no bounds..."
"That would suit me just fine..." Shepard whispers, starting to help Liara out of her own clothing, watching her lover's eyes slowly grow dark, clinging on to her, opening her mind, her soul, her entire being to their Joining. "...I wish I could make this last for eternity..."