Fem Shepard's Data Logs

A/N: If this chapter doesn't seem to flow fluidly after 34 – that is because I lost the original ch 35. This chapter was the next one written so if I am missing stuff.. sorry too heart broken to redo it.

Data Log Entry: 21840909

- 0923

I didn't sleep well last night and after a quick visit with Dr. Chakwas this morning, I wasn't the only member of the away team getting a sleeping aid. She didn't say anything, but I know that yesterday's events greatly affected the young Prothean Expert.

Thank goodness nothing special is going on today. In fact with Pressly's permission, I have crawled back in bed. He said I looked like I had been run over by the mako; that I was driving, what ever that is supposed to mean. If Dr. Chakwas hadn't been getting more coffee, she wouldn't have overhead my second in command's advice, and I would be up and about conducting my routine rounds. But what can I say, I didn't stand a chance against those two; besides my heart wasn't really in it today. I am content on forgetting about the galaxy in need of saving if even just for one day. The doc says my body and mind needs a break thus mandatory rest it is.

So lying in my bed, knees up, terminal in hand and comfortably situated in my N7 tank and shorts, I thought I would start back where I left off with last night's report.

After saving almost all of the colonists at Zhu's Hope we headed back into the ruins to find this mysterious plant creature. Not much if anything was known about the Thorian. During the quarian's exploration, Tali said they had never come across such a creature and Liara said that there was no record of the Thorian in either the asari or protheans records.

Making our way up the crumbling stairwells we encountered another ghastly creature. It looked like a dehydrated humanoid. It wasn't until we finished the first wave of them that I remembered seeing them before. They were there the first time I ran into the geth; back on Eden Prime. It was during my first mission under the watchful eye of the Citadel Council. Seeing them again didn't make it any easier even when their guts went flying. I couldn't help thinking that they were someone's mother or father once upon a time; at least when they were human.

Trying to lighten the already dismal mood, Tali joked about what the mystery plant was and "how bad could it be? It was only a plant after all." Laughing about it now, I remember Tali's comment as we stumbled across the gigantic plant. "Oh my," she said, "We are going to need bigger guns."

This thing was huge and ugly. Making matters worse, it threw up an asari commando. Which I'm glad to report ended up being a clone of Huntress Shiala; the former servant of Matriarch Benezia. To be honest, I was a little wigged out when she popped out of that pod looking like a pimple that burst. However she immediately started walking and talking like an asari, not the mindless spores we encountered earlier.

Our brief time together was strictly professional as she gave me the cypher that Saren was looking for, but I couldn't help but have an internal dialog the whole time. I was repeating certain statements she made in my head and doing the math over and over again. She had been with Matriarch Benezia for two centuries. Liara was only a hundred and some change. That meant she had to know who Liara's father was. I just knew it.

The two asari were being very formal at our meeting. They didn't touch or even address each other. But they must have known each other. While Shiala went on, I glanced over at Liara a couple of times and each time she looked down as if she were embarrassed. I wish I knew what their relationship was; if any.

From the corner of my eye, I felt Shiala look at me. It was the subtle manner in which a school teacher could tell you weren't fully paying attention. She kept using words like cypher, and Saren to rip my attention back to the current. Eventually stealing my entire focus was when she mentioned that Saren knows I am following his every move and that he will be expecting me. She warned me to stay safe and keep those around me safe as well. Her eyes immediately drew down on Liara. I just knew by the way the matron stared at her that there had to be some sort of connection. There was a great deal of concern in her emerald eyes.

Still a bit shaky, we escorted the deadly huntress back to Zhu's Hope. They were glad to receive her. They felt Shiala's centuries of training could pay off in helping rebuild and fortify the settlement. On the way back, I started to warn the commando about ExoGeni. She quickly silenced me and pointed to her temple. "I now know what you know commander. I will be careful."

Staring back at her green eyes, I realized the meld revealed more than just the cypher. Just then an overwhelming since of trust filled me as we both watched Liara walk past. I instinctively knew that this commando would protect my prothean expert with her very life. Combined with the small smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth and the flash in her eyes, she too knew I would do anything to keep Liara safe as well.

As Tali, Liara and myself headed back to the Normandy, I couldn't help but feel sorry yet happy for the asari huntress. She had been through so much in the last few months. But per her request, I couldn't think of a better place for her to rebuild than Zhu's Hope. They all seemed to be fighting so hard to make things better. Optimistically Shiala would have a better chance now of success with the colony since the water had been restored: the power cells were returned, the geth were eliminated and they had plenty of varren meat. Liara hoped Shiala would be ok with that, knowing the former servant to Benezia was mostly a vegetarian.

Well I am getting sleepy now. I think that shot Chakwas gave me is finally kicking in so I am going to end this entry. Nighty nite.

CDR Shepard Out-