Liara
Liara quickly opened her eyes to find an unfamiliar bulkhead surrounding her. Panic set in from the foreign setting before she remembered that she was aboard a ship on her way to Omega. She tried to calm her rapidly beating heart but found it difficult. Between the dream she just escaped from and her impending mission, it was a challenge to relax.
The attack on the Normandy and Troy's disappearance struck Liara much harder then she would have thought. Clutching to any hope of his survival, she had asked anyone who would take her credits to report on any news about the missing Spectre. Amazingly, an information broker informed her of a drell on Omega that had some news of the commander's whereabouts. Now, a mere month after the attack, Liara had chartered a ship to take her there immediately.
She exited her humble compartment and headed to the cockpit to check the status of their journey. Just outside the opened door, she heard the small crew talking to each other.
"-part of Commander Shepard's team," one of them said.
"I wouldn't worry about that, turian," the captain said. He was batarian, so Liara didn't trust him in any sense of the word. "They haven't seen Shepard in a month. Not since the Normandy got taken out. If two-eyes back there wants help from a Spectre, she'd better pick one that's still alive."
Liara would never be described as short tempered but talking about her bondmate in such a manner struck a nerve. She made her presence known to what she now saw were two turians and the batarian captain.
"I will thank you not to speak that way about my friends, captain. Dead or alive."
All three men turned toward her.
"You're awake," the captain said. For some reason, he was holding a shotgun ready. "So did our little asari cargo enjoy her flight? We tried not to make it too bumpy for you."
"I don't know. Maybe she likes it rough," one of the turians said. It was the same one that evoked Troy's name moments before. It appeared that he was no longer hesitant once he learned of the commander's supposed fate.
She decided to ignore his comment. "Are we ready to dock at Omega or not?"
"Soon, soon," the batarian started. His lips formed a cruel smile. "I wanted to have a talk with you first about certain docking fees. This is an expensive ship I run here. You wouldn't believe my overhead. I've been forced to hire people like the two brothers here, and I can't afford to give them any perks."
The three men began to surround her.
"You have been paid, batarian. Now, get back and-"
"Hey, hey," the first turian said pacifyingly. "It's all right. We're nice people. Everything's negotiable."
"If you can't pay, maybe we can think of something else," his brother added. He reached a clawed hand toward her.
Liara loosed her biotics and lifted the turian. "I said get back!"
"She's using biotics!" the batarian yelled as he brought his weapon to bear.
Liara never gave them a chance to fire. She flung the turian in her grip at the others. All three crumpled into a pile. After a tense moment, Liara relaxed as they showed no signs of movement. She started to gather their weapons when the radio cracked to life.
"Attention, batarian freighter. This is Omega control. Do you wish to dock or not?"
She was quick to answer. "This is Liara T'Soni. I apologize for the delay. I was negotiating my fare. Stand by for docking."
"Copy, T'Soni. This is this trip business or personal?"
"Both. I have someone I need to meet."
It did not take Liara long to find Afterlife. Once she got within a few blocks of the club, she could feel the heavy base rumble through the floor and hear faint music. She found it to be almost deafening when she entered. It did not deter her though. She was here for a reason.
She quickly found that the denizens of Omega were less than helpful as she would have hoped. Liara asked many of the patrons and bartenders if they had seen a drell informant. She received many scowls, and one particularly upset individual told her to "sod off." She had an inkling that her translator missed a particularly colorful word.
Liara just finished speaking with a very grumpy elcor. When she had asked about her contact, the large alien went on a tirade about how he was too busy watching the dancers and how it was rude for Liara to assume he would not appreciate dances. He even stated how wonderful elcors were at dancing before he lumbered off. Liara leaned on the bar, feeling somewhat defeated.
"You have to love the elcor," a male voice said. "They've all the expressiveness of your typical tree. If they didn't explain the nuance of what they're saying, it'd be just like talking to one."
"Oh, I do not know about that. I find them-" Liara stopped when she caught a glimpse of the man speaking. His hood was drawn over his head, but she caught a distinct orange and blue coloration of the alien's face and large dark eyes. She realized belatedly that his voice had that odd rasp that all drell shared. "You! You have something to tell me about Commander-"
The drell shushed her quickly. "No. Not here. Outside."
He got up and left with Liara on his heels. He was walking quickly, and she had to occasionally run to keep up.
"You really shouldn't be asking questions on Omega," he told her. "It's not safe, even if you're from here. And that information you wanted wasn't easy to find, even for me."
Before she could respond, the drell wrapped his hand around her arm and quickly pulled her into an alley way. When Liara tried to protest the sudden move, he clamped his hand down on her mouth.
"I'm sorry, Liara," he said after a quiet moment. He pulled his hood back so she could clearly see his face. "We were being followed. I'm Feron, by the way, and you're right. I do know where Shepard is. But you won't like what I have to tell you."
"Is he…" she tried before her voice caught. She tried to fight the eruption of emotions that could put her at risk here.
"Dead? Yes, or very close to it. It's hard to say. The body has been recovered in some sort of stasis pod. If he's not dead, then he isn't alive. I know you came a long way. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news."
Liara knew the drell was probably correct. It was nigh impossible to survive a reentry with just armor. But Troy had done the impossible before, and the informant unknowingly gave her a glimmer of hope. They put the body in a stasis pod, not a cryo tube. They were making an attempt to preserve Shepard the man, not just his body. It was a slim chance, but she clung to it.
"I need… I need to see him for myself, Feron."
"Liara, you aren't the only one looking for the commander. I suggest you let the dead sleep."
"I guess my words did not translate correctly into drell. I need to see him."
Feron let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. It's your money, your life." He led her back into the road. "This isn't the Citadel with their fancy transit system. You want to get somewhere, you walk."
Before Liara could even respond, a group of heavily armed people swooped down on top of them. The markings on their blue armor told her that they were part of the Blue Suns. Knowing them to be a dangerous group that was not above slaving, she readied her biotics.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a male voice calmly said. A turian approached them. "I imagine you are quite skilled with those biotics of yours, but you can't take all of us down before we get to you." He then roughly pushed Feron to his knees and placed his pistol to the drell's forehead. "And how quickly could you get to me? Faster than I can pull the trigger?"
Liara let her protective field drop, and two of the mercenaries quickly pinned her hands behind her back.
The turian's mandibles flicked with amusement. "Good. Now, I have some questions for you, okay? You've come a long way looking for someone who is no longer with us. The Shadow Broker wishes to know why."
"My business is mine and mine alone," Liara said heatedly.
"Unfortunately, it's not. The commander is a hot commodity right now, making it the Broker's and my business. So, let's try-"
The turian was interrupted by a gun shot that pierced his head.
"Sniper!" one of the people holding Liara yelled. Both let go of her as the entire gang turned to find where the shot came from.
She used the distraction to her advantage. She grabbed Feron by his hood and half led, half dragged him away from the erupting weapons. Once he got to his feet, Feron took the lead and started to run to safety. At least, that was what Liara hoped they were running towards.
Unfortunately, two heavily armed and armored men stood in the way. She recognized the emblem on their suits instantly. They both slid to a stop, readying themselves for an attack. Instead, a dark haired human woman stepped from in between the two men.
"Please, relax," she said in a heavy accent Liara had never heard before. "We are all working towards the same goal: finding Commander Shepard."
There were already too many people looking for Troy. Liara did not want another party added.
"Shepard is dead," she said.
The woman was not deterred. "That is what they say, but you and I both know that the commander has beaten the odds before. My name is Miranda. I represent someone very much interested to meet with you. Work with us, and we might be able to bring Shepard back."
She faltered at the human's words. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Miranda turned. "Just follow me. You can even bring the drell. We aren't being choosy today."
Liara was reluctant to follow her. They were Cerberus after all. After learning of what they did to Troy's squad on Akuze and Admiral Kahoku, she realized the pro-human group was willing to go to extreme measures to reach their goals. Trusting them would be a substantial risk as well as a betrayal to her bondmate.
But this Miranda woman said they were attempting to bring Troy back. That made their proposal worth hearing at least.
Liara followed the three humans. Feron took several more moments to decide but eventually ran to catch up.
"I don't think we should be doing this," he whispered to her. "Do you know who these people are?"
"They are Cerberus," she answered without looking. "A pro-human group that are intent to see humans as the driving force in the galaxy."
Feron scoffed. "More like a pro-human hate group."
"I would not go so far as to call them a hate group. Their actions may be… extreme at times, but they do not actively discourage interspecies relations. Besides, we have the same goal. It would be beneficial if we worked together."
"Yes, it would, Dr. T'Soni," Miranda said from the front of the line. She must have remarkable hearing to be able to understand their low whispers. "Now, if you would wait in this room. I must inform my boss that you are here. I will retrieve you when he is ready."
Liara nodded and entered the small room along with Feron. Once they were inside, the drell continued his rant.
"You realize why they want the commander, don't you? It's because he's human! First, human Spectres, then a seat on the Council. It's all about themselves with these people. Do you think they would help Shepard if he was a hanar or a turian?"
"They are protecting their heroes, Feron. Would the drell not do the same? I know the asari would. Do not assume that they are xenophobes simply because they are human-centric," Liara responded. She was quite aware that it sounded like she was trying to convince herself as well as Feron.
He huffed. "Fine. Be stubborn then, Liara. I won't be fooled by them."
She smiled at the man. "Then I hope you will be so kind as to watch my back."
Any response he might have made was interrupted by Miranda reentering the room.
"Our leader will see you now, Liara."
As she got up, Feron said, "I'll just stay here, if you don't mind."
"That's good because you weren't invited," Miranda said curtly.
She led Liara to a small room and told her to step inside. Once she did, an image erupted around her. She found herself in a much larger room with a large window facing a brilliantly orange nebula. Liara realized it was a hologram, but it appeared more real and vibrant than any other hologram she had seen.
Sitting in a chair that was facing away was a human male, grey hair displaying his age. When he spun to address her, his glowing blue eyes immediately caught her attention. She could not tell if his eyes were synthetic or some human genetic defect she had never heard of, but they gave the man an otherworldly feel.
"Hello, Liara T'Soni. You may call me the Illusive Man," he said.
Liara crossed her arms. "What am I doing here? Why did you send your people to seek me out?"
"Straight to the point of the matter. I admire that," the Illusive Man said approvingly. "In truth, I hope that you and I could be friends."
"I believed I could be friends with anyone that was searching for the commander. I realize that was a naïve thought now. So tell me, why should I trust Cerberus to help me? Why are you searching for him?"
"Shepard is unique. He is one of the greatest examples of our species, a symbol to all humanity. Dead or alive, we want Shepard back in human hands."
Liara was getting the distinct feeling he was not being completely honest with her. "I do not understand. If the commander is dead, why would you wish for a corpse?"
"Being an asari, I don't expect you to understand our traditions. The reasons don't matter. What does is that we are not the only ones looking. I believe you have already met who the Shadow Broker has hired to prevent you from acquiring Shepard's body. You see, he needs it for a deal with the Collectors."
She was not ready for that. "The Collectors?! They are slavers. What would they want with a dead body?"
"That's what we want you to find out. The Collectors are little more than vagabonds, turning up every once in a while to take unique, but trivial individuals: a dyslexic krogan, a left-handed turian, an elcor that sings well. Their interest in Shepard is alarming. We would like the remains in any event, but it is vital that they do not have them. Whatever their reasons are, they can't be good. That's why we need you."
"Why choose me? You seem to have plenty of resources and Miranda and her team here. Why do you require an asari's help?"
"We have our role to play, but we can't directly defy the Broker. Besides, you have a personal motive driving you. You were very close with Shepard. When I heard you were here, I wanted you on my team. Can we count on you?"
By the way the Illusive Man emphasized his words, Liara knew that he was aware of their relationship. It annoyed her to no end. "No, but Troy can."
After discussing what should be done next, Miranda dropped them off at one of the busier parts of Omega. Liara hoped that meant they would not see much action for a time. She had only been on the station for half a day, and she had already survived a scuffle, two ambushes, and a firefight. Life here was exhausting.
"They are bigger fools than I thought. You saw what happened when I led you somewhere. What makes them think I know what to do now?" Feron said after the Cerberus agent left.
Liara couldn't keep the anger from her voice. "I think you do. You are an agent of the Shadow Broker, and they know it."
When he turned to give Liara a questioning looked, she placed a bioticly charged punch on his chin. He fell unceremoniously on the ground.
"You could have killed me!" he said in outrage.
"Those mercs could have killed me!" she yelled back. "You were the only one here that knew I was looking for Shepard, but they found me anyway. So either they knew exactly what you were up to or you sold me out. So you are going to help me from now on."
Feron dropped his gaze in shame. "Fine. I still think this is a bad idea, but I will. I owe you that much." He stood and started to walk. "We need to go talk to the queen."
"Queen? I thought Omega had no central governing body."
He smiled at her. "No official one, but everyone knows who runs this place. Aria T'Loak."
They made their way back to Afterlife of all places. Supposedly, the club was what T'Loak used as her center of government. It spoke volumes to Omega's and her queen's priorities.
When they finally met the mysterious woman, Liara was surprised to find that she was an asari. Liara assumed she was in the matron stage, and her purple coloration spoke of her family's place of origin. Only asari from the Isles of Alria, a group of islands in the middle of the largest body of water on Thessia, had that skin tone.
Her attempt to use this knowledge to her advantage proved ineffective, however. Aria was unimpressed and reluctant to help. She became downright hostile once they told her that the Shadow Broker was trading with the Collectors. She was ready to throw the two out before a final plea from Liara changed her mind. Aria gave them a location on where the Blue Suns were meeting the Broker's agents.
When they arrived, they found half a dozen Blue Suns waiting impatiently. Just as the two found a secure spot to plan their attack, a ship entered the dock and landed. The gangplank lowered, and a very large salarian exited. It appeared he had a grenade launcher in his hands.
Feron swore and ducked behind the boxes. "Forget any thought about this being easy. That oversized horn-head down there is Tazzik. Of course the Broker would send Taz."
"What does that matter?" Liara asked, never taking her eyes off the movement below them.
"Taz is the Broker's only hit man. He usually uses gangs like the Suns to do his dirty work. Makes it less likely it's traced back to him. He only sends in Taz when he wants to make sure the job is done right."
She was only half listening to the drell when she saw the Suns pull out a large case shaped like a coffin. The salarian in question inspected it meticulously before handing one of the mercs a credit chit.
Liara stood and began to pulse with biotic power before Feron quickly pulled her back down behind the crates.
"What are you doing? That's Troy!" she protested.
"It's too risky, Liara. There are a dozen of them and only two of us. Shepard will be on the ship and gone before we even get close."
"I've crossed the galaxy for this, Feron. I am not letting him get away now."
He gave a sly smile that unsettled her. "I know. That's why I suggest we use that gun over there to disable Taz's ship."
She looked to where he was pointing. There was a large defense gun, left over from whatever this hanger used to be. The plan was sound, but after his earlier betrayal, Liara did not trust the drell. Still, it was her best chance.
"Fine, but do not make me regret trusting you."
While Feron went to work on the gun, she snuck closer and readied herself for the assault. Nothing happened for a long time. Liara grew tired of waiting and stood to pursue her bondmate's body. Just as she vaulted over the boxes she was using for cover, a wave of heat and pressure slammed into her, sending her into the wall.
Dazed, Liara slowly rose to see the carnage around her. Instead of hitting the ship, the turret's shot must have gone wide and struck boxes that had contained some type of volatile substances. Her eyes flew to the offending gun to find it in ruins amidst bodies of the Blue Suns.
Then, she noticed Taz entering his ship, a smoking grenade launcher ready for another attack. Before Liara could even begin to move, the entrance sealed, and the ship left the hanger. She ground her teeth in frustration.
She noticed movement in the destruction. Her biotics flared as she approached whoever had survived. Her anger grew when she realized who it was.
"I should have never trusted you again!" Liara yelled at the retreating Feron. "You are actively trying to kill me now. I knew you still worked for the Shadow Broker."
The drell held up his hands in a seemingly futile attempt to stop her rage. "I never stopped working for the Broker, as far as he knows, but I didn't do that on purpose. Do you honestly believe I want the Collectors to have Shepard's body? This situation is just delicate. There is more at play here than you know. Now you can either blast me again, or we can get to my ship and follow Taz. It's your choice."
Liara really wanted to hit him. This was the second time she felt that Feron had betrayed her, regardless of what he claimed. She loosed a frustrated yell and sent a biotic pulse toward the man. He flinched away. Once he realized that felt no pain, he eyed Liara before turning to see the heavily dented containers less than a meter from his head.
"Feeling better?" he tried with a tentative grin. "I'm really glad-"
"Do not speak," Liara interrupted, "or I will strike somewhere entirely less pleasant for you."
He took her advice, and both quickly made their way back to the drell's ship. They eventually caught up to the ship carrying Troy's body just as they started to head through the mass relay.
"Don't worry," Feron said softly. He was tempting fate, and he knew it. "The Broker only has one base through that relay. It won't be too hard to track Taz."
She did not answer.
When they finally shot through the relay, Feron turned in his chair to face her.
"It will take us a few hours to get there. You should get some rest."
"I am fine," Liara answered curtly.
He visibly winced at her harsh tone. "You've been using your biotics relentlessly since you arrived on Omega. I may not be one myself, but I know how tiring constant use can be."
Liara knew he was right. It seemed that she never had a time to relax since arriving on Omega, jumping from fight to fight. The only reason she was still on her feet was the adrenaline. Now that it was waning, she felt the tiring day's affect her.
"And where do you propose I relax? It is not as if you have an extra chair here." Liara had been forced to stand in the small, crowded cockpit.
"Yea, sorry about that. I'm not used to having visitors. The back there isn't so bad. I think I even have a pillow and a covering somewhere," he said as he stood.
She put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back into his chair. "Do not fret over me. Just make sure we arrive at the Broker's base."
"Don't worry, Liara. I won't leave you on some deserted planet. I'm too scared of what you would do to me when you found me."
Feron's attempt at levity did little to improve her mood. She cleared a space in the corner of the small enclosure and fell asleep as soon as she rested on the bulkhead.
The dream started familiar enough. She was in comfortable confines of Shepard's cabin. His presence filled the small room. Liara closed her eyes, reveling in the safety she felt there.
When she opened her eyes again, the Normandy was on fire. Troy was working feverishly at a console. She did not wait for him to acknowledge her presence. She picked up a fire suppressor and began to work on the flames.
"The distress beacon is ready for launch," he said as he turned around. His face was grimy with soot and slick with sweat. His helmet lay forgotten on the floor.
"Will the Alliance arrive here on time?" she asked.
An explosion sent them stumbling. Liara felt his strong hand on her arm, steadying her.
"They'll be here," he answered. "They won't let us down."
She nodded, reassured. "The evacuation is almost complete. However, Joker will not leave his post."
Troy searched for his rolling helmet. "Don't worry about him. I'll get him to a pod. You get to one yourself."
"I am not leaving either," she said defiantly as she continued her work on the fire.
Troy's strong hand grabbed her again, this time turning her so she would be forced to face him.
"I need you to get the crew on the evac shuttles. Don't fight me on this, Liara. Please, go."
She was forced to look straight into those large, brown eyes of his. They pleaded that she listened to him. Liara wondered if he left off his helmet on purpose. He knew she could rarely muster the willpower to deny him when he looked at her like that.
She wanted to say something, wanted to make sure Troy would take care of himself. But no words formed. She simply nodded and headed to the pods.
The dream shifted through images of the Normandy's destruction: burning hallways, exploding terminals, charred bodies riddled with shrapnel. Now, she was in the shuttle, watching as another piercing beam struck her home causing the cockpit to separate from the rest of the ship. Relief flooded her when she saw one last pod jettison from broken vessel just before it blew completely.
Liara found herself in front of that last shuttle that escaped the dying ship. Hoped welled within her just to be destroyed with the doors open to reveal its lone occupant. She felt a piece of herself shatter as Joker looked up at her full of sorrow and regret. Softly, in the background, she heard her name being spoken over and over again. She could have sworn it sounded like Troy.
Her eyes opened to find a traitorous drell much too close for her liking. Her biotics glowed threateningly.
"Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Liara," Feron quickly said as he backed up. "I was just trying to wake you up. No need to throw me across the ship."
She slowly rose and realized they were stopped.
"Where are we?"
"Alingon. We still have to hurry if we are going to stop the Collectors."
"Then what are we waiting for. Lead the way."
They made their way to a large compound surrounded by jagged mountains. On the way, Feron explained that the intense magnetosphere from the planet's swiftly spinning iron core made all sensors obsolete and communication near impossible without extremely sophisticated and expensive technology. In essence, no one could possibly know they were there.
Once they were at the doors, Feron convinced the two guards on duty that Liara was an asari escort, and he was there to deliver her. With a quick promise of bringing a few extras for them next time, the two passed the guards and entered the base proper. Liara watched the few people moving about as they made their way further into the interior.
"There are not many people here," she whispered.
"This place is only used for special business. Handing over Shepard qualifies."
Liara's fists clenched. "I am growing quite tired of my friend being described as merchandise."
"I don't think he cares much at this point, but I see your point."
Her biotics flared slightly at his words before she remembered that she was supposed to be a prisoner. Liara felt the bite of her fingernails in palm of her hand as they unconsciously tightened.
After a few more minutes of walking in silence, Liara finally asked. "Where are you taking me, Feron?"
"The communications hub. We need to figure out where the transfer is being done and why the Broker is starting to deal with the Collectors."
"Why is that information worthy of potentially losing the commander? Would recovering his remains be enough to foil their plans?"
Feron's shoulders slumped, and she heard him let out a long sigh. "Because the Illusive Man wants to know."
That struck Liara as odd. "How would you know what the Illusive Man desires? You were not in the meeting with me. Unless…" She trailed off as the pieces began to fall in place. "You are working for Cerberus!"
"Will you be quiet?!" he said harshly. Once she had calmed down, he continued in hushed tones. "Yes, I'm working for Cerberus. Usually, I'm not one that cares for what my clients do with the information I give them, but when the Broker started dealing with the Collectors, I knew it was bad news. I wanted no part of it. I reached out to Illusive Man. When we heard you were coming, we came up with a plan to get Shepard's body back as well as figure out the Shadow Broker's intentions."
"So you are a double – no, triple agent then? That is why you let them get away on Omega, so they would lead you here." She glared at him. "You have lied to me so many times. Why should I believe a word that comes from your mouth anymore?"
He smiled ruefully at her. "You shouldn't, but I'm still your best bet in getting his body back," Feron said before he started back down the direction he was heading.
Liara knew he was correct and begrudgingly followed. She hated herself for being so naïve in trusting the man leading her. She hated that she was still forced to trust him. But most of all, she hated that she trusted that he was telling the truth. He truly did not want to see Troy in the hands of the Collectors.
"We're here," he said, bringing Liara out of her thoughts.
They were standing in a room much larger than those she had seen on the way here. It was filled with consoles that appeared to be very advanced. Beyond them stood a humanoid shape, obscured by an intense white light.
"Reporting for work, Feron?" came an electronic, obviously altered voice. "People only come to see the Shadow Broker when I call. I didn't call."
"Is he serious?" Liara whispered.
"He speaks to everyone this way. I've never actually been this close before." Feron stole a quick glance at the consoles. "Distract him while I get the information I need. Then we can stop the exchange."
"I am waiting for an answer, Feron," the Broker said, oblivious to their conversation. "Since when do you think you could come here uninvited?"
"Since you started dealing with the Collectors, Shadow Broker," Liara spat.
"The Collectors present great rewards to whoever can find the unique specimens they request. I am a business man first and foremost. They made an offer I simply could not ignore."
"I do not understand. I do not understand why anyone would sell my friend's remains. What could they possibly offer you that is worth that?"
"The compensation is my business, Dr. T'Soni," the figure answered. "Yes, I know who you are and what you want. I wish to inform you that I have no ill will towards Shepard or his friends. It was simply good business."
Liara let her biotics glow and closed the distance between them. "Shepard was looking into the Reapers when he died. Did you even consider the Collectors' interest might be related to that?"
"Please, Dr. T'Soni. It is a corpse. What could they possibly gain from it?"
"If it is a corpse they want, I can find them a suitable replacement…" she trailed off. Once she was close enough, she realized that the form before her was not organic but made of metal. "You are not even here. Where are you?"
"Where I am needed. The exchange is complete. My presence is not required. You are too late."
Liara ground her teeth until her jaw began to ache. Furious at the smugness in the Broker's voice, she could barely hold back her rage. So when Feron said he was done downloading, she unleashed all her frustration and aggression that had been building up since she arrived on Omega. Once she was done, there was nothing left functional.
"That felt good."
"Well, you certainly are good at destroying a room." He held up a data stick. "And I got some files about the Broker's dealings."
"Yes, but it cost us Troy," she said miserably. "He said the Collectors already have the body."
A small smile formed. "Not yet. They are still in the north dock, waiting for it to pressurize. If we move, we can still stop them."
Liara brightened at the news, and the duo quickly made their way to the exchange. When they arrived, Taz and a Collector were standing over Troy's open stasis pod. The Collector seemed satisfied with the contents, replaced the lid, and held the container protectively.
Feron startled her when he quickly spun to face her. "Listen, Liara. I know I haven't been straight with you, but I hope you realize it's because I needed to confirm information." He placed the data stick in her hand. "But maybe this will change things. Make sure this gets to Cerberus. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."
With that, the drell stood and started to walk to the small group before Liara could stop him. Taz seemed annoyed at the intrusion, but he remained as friendly as she could imagine him being. Feron's words did not reach her, but he obviously said something that upset the Collector. Everyone began to tense as the situation degraded.
At Taz's order, one of the agents returned Troy's body to the ship. The Collector went slack for a few moments before pointing an accusatory finger at Feron. Taz and the rest of the Broker's squad leveled their weapons at him. Liara could no longer stay silent and sprang to his aid.
She unleashed a whirlwind of biotic energy that sent almost everyone off their feet. She saw Feron jump on Taz to keep him from pursuing her as she made her way to ship and the pod. The only obstacle left was the Collector who barred her way. Liara charged her fist with energy and slammed it into the side of the aliens face, feeling the hard exoskeleton crack under the force.
Once she was on the gangplank, the asari turned and yelled, "Let's go, Feron!"
She found him still clutching the overgrown salarian as Taz relentlessly struck his face. Blood was pouring from his nose and mouth, and an eye was swelling.
"Go!" he yelled in between the punches. "Get Shepard out of here!"
Liara did what he had asked and left the drell to his fate.
Liara watched as a team of Cerberus scientists took Troy's body down the various halls of the space station. She followed them but was denied entry into the actual operating room. Instead, she watch through glass as the team worked to assess the damage to his body.
Absentmindedly, she squeezed her hands, reminding her of the small chunks of metal she was holding. The asari opened her fist to reveal the two thin metal plates that were the remains of his dog tags. She found the chain rattling in the bottom of the stasis pod when she opened it hours before to check its contents. They were mangled so badly that the name, numbers, and other identifiers were unreadable by her translator. Their damaged reflected their owner's condition.
Remarkably, Liara had found that the small red chord Troy kept between the tags, a gift he received from his sister months before the Mindoir attack, somehow survived. The "bracelet" as he called it had brought back painfully peaceful memories of her fiddling with his lone article of jewelry while in they relaxed in bed.
When she had commented on his necklace, he responded, "It's not a necklace, Cielo. They are my dog tags. There is a big difference."
"Oh," she said, amused. "And what is that?"
He had plucked the metal plates out of her hand and adjusted his position on the bed to show them to her. "Well, they have all of my identifying markers they would need to make sure I get home if I ever… fall." The last word had been carefully chosen. "They also have my blood type in case I lose too much of my own. It's very bad for humans to get the wrong blood. And it also has my religion so the proper funeral can be arranged.
"But more than that," Troy had continued, "it marks me as a marine, a reminder that I am a soldier who swore to protect the Earth and her colonies."
Liara could understand that. While she was never interested in becoming a huntress, she did know the vows they were forced to accept before entering the service. Then there were the justicars which were an entirely different animal with their unambiguous moral Code.
She had contemplated ending the discussion there, but the scientist in her got the better of her.
"And what of Daily's gift?"
Liara felt him tense under her. Her first instinct had been to retract the question. Before she could, however, Troy had answered.
"A reminder of those that are no longer with me," had been his short but weighted reply.
She had broken down on the ship then. Tears had streamed down her cheeks as she held Troy's dog tags. Memories of the year and a half she spent with him on the Normandy came unbidden, forcing her to her knees. Even after seeking secluded archeological digs, she had never felt as truly alone as she did at that very moment, and she found she did not crave the isolation any longer.
Liara felt a hand on her shoulder which snapped her back into the present. She quickly hid the tags away in her hand and cursed herself for being caught unawares. She was, after all, on a Cerberus station. While they were not xenophobes in the purest sense, the organization held no love for aliens.
"You did well, Dr. T'Soni," Miranda's accent voice said. "We were right to place our faith in you. Shepard made some very good friends."
"Do not congratulate me," she said as she shrugged away the human's hand. "I just handed Troy's remains to a group that wiped out everyone he was with on Akuze, a large majority of which came directly from his platoon. I cannot help but feel like I have betrayed him. Just… just tell me that it was worth it. "
She did not respond immediately. "I wish I had better news. The damage to his body was worse than we realized. We may not be able to bring him back as planned. There is still a possibility, but it will take much more time."
"It may be for the better," Liara said, hoping to keep the bitter despair from her voice. "I may not know much of human traditions, but bringing him back seems like something…"
"Like something the Collectors would have done?" Miranda ventured. "We don't know what they were planning for him, Liara. Hopefully the data you brought back will give us some insight."
"And what of Feron?" she quickly asked, jumping at the chance to redirect her focus to anything other than Troy's lifeless form in the next room. "He was caught by one of the Shadow Broker's men on Alingon. Are you going to save him?"
Miranda shook her head. "The drell was expendable. He knew that. We won't be making a rescue attempt. You may, but I advise you to spend your time on doing something you want to do."
"No, I need to help him. He may have betrayed me, but Feron is the only reason I was able to bring Shepard's body back. I will not leave him to the Broker's whims."
Liara turned from the operating room and began to walk with new purpose toward her newly acquired ship. She knew that she could no longer assist Troy. He was beyond her help. Instead, she focused on saving a traitorous drell that eventually became her friend and hunting the man who captured him.
Author's Note:
Well that's another chapter down. Sorry it's a little late, but that is just because it's so lengthy. And it is this long because I have condensed four issues of the Mass Effect: Redemption comic book into one story. I like to stay as close to canon as my characters allow. Usually this isn't a problem because most of you who would be interested in reading a story like this have played the game at least once, so I don't have to cover in game actions, occurrences and dialogue unless it propels my story. I do not know how many of you have read the comics however, so I try to recreate them in my writing. That makes it a little boring for me to write, having to follow a set story line instead of letting the Mass Effect characters take me where they please, but I feel compelled to do so.
On another note, I realized belatedly that this should have followed my Joker chapter. The reason I did Garrus first was because I wanted to do Liara last. But since the most interesting portion of her Shepard-less years were early, I was forced to write the monster you see before you. I really don't want to change the order after the fact, so you guys are just going to have to deal with a little chronological disorder. If it bugs me enough, I may switch the two.
If you made it this far, I'm impressed that you are willing to suffer through my ranting. Thank you for reading, please review/critique, and tell me which of Shepard's crew you want to see next.