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Chapter 15

Liara woke as she felt a warm body join her in the bed, smooth skin sensuously sliding over her back, arms wrapping comfortingly around her. She sighed, inhaling deeply as she opened her eyes. Although the digital clock indicated it was 07:19, the room was still pitch-black. The penthouse's auto darkening sensors had been programmed to keep the sunlight out for roughly another hour.

"Shepard?"

A soft sound of amusement rumbled in her hearing canal.

"I certainly hope so," was the whispered reply. "Were you expecting someone else?"

The Asari nudged the body behind her with an elbow as she recognized that she was being teased and snuggled back against the comforting form. "Where'd you go?"

"Bathroom. Then programmed the coffee maker. Forgot to do that last night."

Liara realized she had not only slept through the Spectre getting out of bed, but also preparing the coffee in the kitchen. It occurred to her that it had been a long time since she hadn't woken at the slightest sound or motion. On the Shadow Broker base and even on the Normandy, the briefest of odd sounds used to wake her immediately. Because of this, she had learned to function on minimal sleep and a few short naps throughout the day. She smiled. Apparently, as long as it was Lakota making the noise, her subconscious recognized it and was not disturbed.

"You must have been distracted," Liara said teasingly. She knew few things were as important to her lover as morning coffee.

"That's one word for it."

"You have another in mind?" Her voice trailed off as she yawned.

"Seduced."

"I believe you kissed me first."

"The seduction began long before the first kiss."

"Did it?" Liara asked, sighing contentedly, enjoying the idea of having nothing imperative to do this morning. She was groggy, yet content, and half-awake but finding pleasure in the warmth of the nude body snuggling against her. She smiled faintly and then stretched beneath the luxurious blankets appreciating the fact that while she should attend to a list of things this morning, she didn't have to attend to them. Miranda and Feron had seen to that by agreeing to oversee the Shadow Broker duties for a few days.

"Indeed. For decades you have been captivated by the Protheans. Attracted to their mystery, enamored by their puzzles."

"Protheans?" Liara frowned, the darkness reflecting her confused state. "Are you drunk," she chided teasingly. "What are you getting at?"

"They lured you away from society, away from your peers, away from your mother. You devoted your whole life to studying their existence…" The voice which originally sounded like her lover began to fluctuate through the dialogue until it settled into a low, deep baritone delivering frighteningly cruel words in a tone barely above a whisper. "…but in the end all of your knowledge was appallingly incorrect. Your life was wasted. "

Liara's breath hitched as an eerie chill swept through her body, instantly stiffening every limb and heightening every sense. She recognized the voice, the foreboding resonance with no discernible accent, because she had heard it once before.

Lips, hard and cold, brushed along her ridged neckline, near her hearing canal. "Then… you somehow thought you found love, but… did love really find you in turn or was it just the pitiful fantasy of an inexperienced child trying to fill a void?" As the raspy utterance brought a sinking dread to the pit of her stomach, her body trembled. "All of those missteps and blunders, can you be so certain she loved you? She willfully abandoned you, died while saving the pilot of her ship without even the merest glimpse of you in her final thoughts."

Liara could feel a presence trying to burrow into her mind, influence her reasoning, like a thousand centipedes crawling across her skin. She tried to shift toward the edge of the bed, but the other body held her tight in its frozen, clammy embrace. "Who are you?" she asked, biting back the panic flooding her mind. "What do you want?"

The researcher's concerns immediately turned towards Lakota. Where was she? What had happened to her? Was she okay?

"Your ignorance of the Protheans is only rivaled by your naiveté in love." Chuckling menacingly, the icy voice murmured, "You know nothing, Liara T'Soni. And now it is time for you to leave this place."

The last three words sunk into Liara's psyche with deafening force, confirming her suspicions and propelling her into bold action. Fury and fear swept through her in equal measure like thundering mountain torrents, and as she called forth a surge of biotic energy, she twisted around in bed and let loose the full might of her power, cleaving the intrepid being from bed, but sending herself to the floor as well…

…

Liara woke suddenly in the absolute darkness of the penthouse feeling the soft warmth of bed's satin sheets against her skin. Her body tensed as she inhaled sharply, frozen in place, unwilling to move or cry out until she had calmed her thoughts.

She had been asleep and somehow entered Lakota's dreamscape again, but this time her lover hadn't been there, only the bodiless voice. Correction, the once bodiless voice. Now it seemed to have a shape. Or at least she thought she felt a shape, maybe it was all a dream impression. Although she never actually saw its body, she knew she would never forget its cold, clammy form against her. Shivering involuntarily, Liara recalled the revulsion of an unfamiliar entity touching her skin, whispering its twisted lies.

Still unwilling to move, her eyes darted back and forth through the bedroom trying to make out any familiar shapes within the darkened space. Hesitantly, she glanced at the digital clock, suppressing another foreboding shudder of déjà vu. The display read 07:23.

Wrestling with anxiety, she forced her lungs to breathe normally, giving her senses time to acclimate to her wakened state and her eyes time to adjust to the shadowed room. She could tell she was alone in the bed, and when she stretched her hearing, she could make out the faint sound of the shower.

Then, she forced herself to think on the dream, cataloguing the details, comparing the experience in the hospital to this one. Two crucial differences stuck out in her mind. Previously, she had been unable to use her biotics, but this time she had no issues calling them to her aid. Also, this wasn't a scene from Lakota's recurring nightmare. In fact, the Spectre had played no role at all, which for some reason nagged incessantly at the back of the Asari's mind.

With concern for her lover clamoring through her being, Liara quickly rolled out of bed, donning a white robe around her nude form before heading toward the bathroom, following the reverberations of falling water.

Steam billowed from the hot shower, fogging up the mirrors and creating an unnaturally wet heat along the floors and walls. Liara slowly moved forward through the room, the sweltering mist making it difficult for her to see as her lungs struggled in the dense, humid air. Once she was able to discern the shadowy figure in the shower, she felt the tension drain from her body. Everything was okay. Her lover was fine.

"Shepard?" the researcher said, sighing in relief. As she stepped closer to the shower, Liara mentally chided herself for her silliness, but she knew she actually had to see her lover before she would truly be content.

The moment her hand reached toward the shower, the shadow figure flared out menacingly, expanding at an aggressive rate, looming over the Asari as phantasmagoric tendrils of dark vapor rapidly engulfed the room.

"Leave this place!"

The sinister words echoed through the thick condensation bringing a perverse chill to her bones. "Who are you? What do you want?" Liara demanded, as she instinctively crouched low to the ground, biotic energy silently crackling around her body.

"You will leave!"

She quickly retreated, hoping to get to a clear vantage point, but stumbled as her bare feet slipped on the wet floor sending her plunging backward…

…

Liara landed on her back on the spongy softness of moss covered ground. After sitting up, she looked around, taking in her new surroundings. She was on a planet surface, near the edge of a dense forest. It was daytime and the sky above was a hazy yellow-green hue as though there was a filter in the air altering the spectrum of light. The tall trees and large stones surrounding her were all covered with green and brown lichen, and as she breathed in, she caught its distinct scent: woody, sharp with a hint of something slightly sweet.

When she stood up she noticed she was now wearing her blue and white jumpsuit which indicated that she was still in what Lakota termed "the dreamweave". She didn't complain though, she was quite happy not to be naked.

"Liara!"

Biotic energy rolled down the Asari's right arm pooling in her fist as she spun wildly, bracing for an attack that never came. The form walking toward her was immediately recognizable just as the voice had been.

"Shepard?" she whispered, not quite believing her eyes.

The Spectre stood before her, dressed in her crimson, kestrel armor with her trusty sniper rifle, Hela, in hand. "Liara," she repeated. "What are you doing here?"

Although the Asari recognized the armor and sniper rifle that the human carried, she knew they were both outdated versions. The Spectre no longer used them. Since she was still unsure if this was the real Lakota or some barbaric dream facsimile, she maintained the biotic energy snaking around her arm, primed to be released. "What are you doing here?" she countered.

"I- I don't know." Confused, the Spectre looked around, studying the planet's unfamiliar landscape. Then she said, "Where the hell are we?"

Hesitantly, Liara reached out with her left hand, her fingertips gently touching the human's bare cheek. A familiar, pleasant tingling sensation floated down her arm, coiling within her midsection and then seemed to blossom in her chest, warming her whole body. Smiling brightly, she said, "It is you."

Bewildered, Lakota said, "I certainly hope so. Were you expecting someone else?"

For what seemed to be the hundredth time, Liara froze. Her mind flashed back to the earlier scene in the bed when she had heard the exact phrase being said by another.

Seeing the Asari's misgivings, Lakota smiled reassuringly, then leaned into the hand that still rested on her cheek, turning slightly to press her lips into the blue palm. "Hey, it really is me."

Once more Liara felt the playful electricity shiver along her hand and down her arm, pooling in her belly. A smile curled on her lips as she looked at the Spectre, drinking her in, absorbing the loving gaze into herself as the parched earth receives the rain, soaking it in after a drought. The biotic energy faded from her arm. "I know."

"Good." The Spectre's eyes sparkled playfully. "Now that we've cleared that up, do you know where we are?"

"In your head."

"My head?" Lakota frowned as she surveyed the wooded area. "Well, this just got weird."

"It was weird long before this."

"That's not reassuring."

"It wasn't meant to be," the Asari said sardonically. As she stepped next to the Spectre, she tried to identify the planet they were on. Somehow it seemed familiar.

"We really need to work on your people skills."

"You're going to help hone my people skills?" Liara scoffed, glancing at her lover out of the corner of her eye. "The woman who punches reporters?"

"I didn't say I was going to help you," Lakota retorted in mock indignation. "Maybe Garrus."

"The turian who moonlighted as a vigilante?"

The Spectre shrugged her shoulders. "Tali then."

"The Quarian who threatened to blow up Cerberus?"

"She was bluffing."

Liara put her hands on her hips and stared at the Spectre with a skeptical eyebrow raised.

"She was mostly bluffing," Lakota said sheepishly.

"Face it, Shepard," the researcher said as she playfully patted her lover on the shoulder, "nobody you hang out with can be considered a 'people person'."

Thinking of Jack, Zaeed and Grunt, Lakota chuckled. "You may be right."

A quizzical expression blanketed the Asari's face. "Does this place seem familiar to you?"

Lakota tilted her head, looking out on the wild forest that ended in a misty blueness which was impenetrable to her gaze. After a few moments of thoughtful contemplation, she said, "It does, but I can't place it."

Then the Spectre's eyes narrowed. She thought she detected movement at the edge of the woodland but couldn't be certain, because when she attempted to pierce the darkness of the trees there was only a brooding stillness within its depths. Shaking her head ruefully, she turned to stare into the hazy sky of greenish yellow and felt a sudden disorientation as though the ground shifted beneath her. For a blink of an eye, she was blind, whiteness dazzling her vision, then a shadow passed over, darkening the surroundings.

Startled, Lakota asked, "Did you feel that?" Her battle-honed instincts prepared her muscles for instantaneous action.

With an ease born of trust as well as combat experience, Liara flanked her lover's side, engaging her senses, preparing for an attack. "No. I felt nothing."

There was no movement around them. Nothing other than the silent play of clouds floating across the sky. There was no sound other the faint susurration of the breeze blowing through the trees and leaves.

A prickling sensation scratched at the Spectre's scalp, a brief chill that danced ghostly fingers down her spine. "Something's out there."

Liara sighed irreverently. "That's not very helpful."

"It's the best I can do at the moment."

"And here I thought you'd have some kind of idea of what we're up against."

"Not this time."

"We're in your head!"

"Hey! You're a guest, don't judge."

"This isn't a judgment," the Asari said dryly. "I just don't think I'm the only guest running around in here."

Lakota pursed her lips in frustration as she continued to scan the area. There was nothing, yet at the same time she knew there was something else out there. "Unfortunately, I think you're right."

"Now you're the one not being reassuring," Liara quipped as she continued to try and decipher why this planet seemed so familiar.

The Spectre opened her mouth to respond, but then she paused, staring into the woods, letting her eyes adjust to the different light that shadowed the grove. Then she saw it.

Emerald orbs afloat on a night-black sea. Implacable, demanding, unyielding. They watched her with unnatural calm, drawing her vision so that they came to almost hypnotizing her, drawing out her concentration, quelling all doubts, all opposition to their fierce unspoken wordless gaze. Her sniper rifle slipped from her hands, dipping towards the ground, the point touching like a feather to the spongy moss.

When she didn't hear a pithy reply, Liara glanced over her shoulder and saw an almost palpable shroud fall across her lover blanketing her vitality with a dull sluggishness. The human's gaze remained fixed on some unknown mark while at the same time her stance slowly relaxed to the point of almost becoming limp, and her shoulders slumped forward, limbs perceptibly weakening.

The Asari reached out, her hand grasping her lover's shoulder, shaking it. "Shepard?"

Startled to immediate wakefulness, Lakota said somberly, "It's here."

Then at the edge of the forest a slow moving miasma of darkness pooled, gathering density and breadth. Suddenly a black funnel sprang forth arching over the landscape, landing two meters in front of the pair, accumulating into a pulsating mass of black smoke. As the ominous storm of swirling tendrils faded away, a bipedal shape gradually became discernible.

Then Commander Lakota Shepard, dressed in her burgundy N7 armor, stepped out of the murky nebula.

The real Lakota rolled her eyes, preparing herself for an attack. "For the love of all that's blue," she groused irreverently, "not another clone."

Liara stepped slightly in front of her lover, extending an arm out, as though ready to protect her with a biotic shield. "I don't think it's a clone, Shepard."

"You are correct, Liara T'Soni. I am no clone." Even the voice of the pseudo-Shepard sounded identical.

Lakota adjusted her grip on the sniper rifle, then barked, "What are you?"

Haughtily, her replica replied, "What I am would have no meaning to you. I am beyond your comprehension."

"You sound like a damn Reaper," the Spectre growled.

"Why are you here?" Liara questioned, still positioned protectively in front of her lover with biotic energy coiling around them both.

The replica began to pace in front of them, a predatory edginess woven within every step. "Because that is my nature," she said imposingly.

Lakota snarled, "That's not an answer!"

"Why are you here, Commander Shepard?" the replica purred sinisterly. "Does the Asari know the real reason you escaped death? Does she know that it was your pride, not your love for her, which gave you strength in those last moments?"

Infuriated, the Spectre took a step forward pointing an accusatory finger at her likeness. "You lie!"

"It is not in my nature to lie."

Liara raised both hands in front of her, manipulating the violet wisps of biotic energy into a circular shape, ready to be used aggressively. Then, she challenged, "Your nature is not welcome in this place. It's time for you to leave."

The replica stopped pacing, then faced Liara with an arrogant smile curling her lips. "You have no power here, Asari." As she raised her arms, swirling dark energy wrapped around her hands. "In fact, I think it is time for you to leave… this… place."

Instead of assaulting with a litany of biotics, the pseudo-Shepard strutted angrily toward Liara cocking her arm back as though preparing to strike out with her fist.

Startled by the unexpected move, Liara stumbled backward, flinching involuntarily as shock and alarm mingled in her deep blue eyes.

The actions happened so fast, but to the Spectre witnessing the scene it seemed to recede to a crawl, her thoughts divided between two similar moments. One side of her mind was watching her likeness about to physically assault her lover, the other was in her Alliance funded apartment when she almost did the same. The current look of horror and astonishment on her lover's face was similar enough to cut deep, causing a sharp pain of regret within her gut and spur her into action.

"No!" Lakota retorted hotly, pushing Liara to the side before her replica could strike. "It's time for you to leave this place."

The copy of Shepard turned, snarling, "Your words reflect your ignorance." She stepped closer, eyes full of emerald fury, the energy surrounding her hands brightening by the second. "Do it. Strike me down. What is another body among foundations?"

The replica made a swooping movement with her hand and the landscape shifted. It was now a macabre scene of dead bodies strewn about dusty flatlands in vast mounds which extended to the horizon. Thick smoke filled the air, filtering the light in a dark orange hue and leaving only a blurred vision of the faceless many unceremoniously heaped together.

"This is your legacy, Commander Shepard. The gift that you give so well."

Lakota was shaken at the sight of so many corpses piled one on top of another, to a vastness beyond the counting. As she stared at the various faces, a trickle of dread began to build until it flooded her being from head to toe. Slowly, she began to recognize some of the shapes within the masses.

"Shepard," Liara whispered as she placed a hand on the Spectre's shoulder. Warily she had stepped next to her lover, keeping a vigilant eye on the replica. "This is not real."

As she pinched the bridge of her nose, Lakota gently shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. Amidst the piles of bodies were the Reds, the children who had been in her crew. They had been murdered, made examples of because of her insurrection.

"You are wrong, Liara T'Soni. This is very real. This is Commander Shepard's greatest gift. The gift of death."

A tiny stab of guilt and insecurity took root in the back of Lakota's head. Of all the tragedies in her life, this is the one that she had never been able to reconcile. "No!" she countered defensively. "I was right. This was not my fault. It was the Den Mother and now she's dead! These children rest in peace!"

"How can you be so sure, Commander Shepard? You were not there."

The replica waved her hand once again and a large picture window appeared in the air, floating a few feet above the dusty ground. The scene within the panes was of a room, one that Lakota recognized. It was her old loft in Mexico City, where she lived when she was a Lieutenant for the Tenth Street Reds. Then, she saw six children being lead at gunpoint into the room and forced to their knees.

Standing paralyzed in stunned, appalled silence, Lakota watched helplessly as her handpicked crew, kids ranging from seven to fourteen years of age, were murdered one by one at gunpoint with malevolent ease. Before the fatal strike, each of them turned, staring through the window, directly meeting the Spectre's gaze, the look of betrayal sparkling in their eyes as they were told this gift was because of her.

Lakota staggered slightly, her chest burning hotly as she desperately sought to breathe. Then, she felt fingertips burrow into her shoulder and her lover's soothing voice state, "This is not real, Shepard. It's trying to manipulate you."

Taking deliberate, slow breaths, Lakota forced a calm composure, and mindfully exhaled. "You're right," she said simply, then her eyes narrowed angrily as she turned toward her twin. "You think death is my birthright. Let's test the theory." The Spectre's voice sounded like a low, hostile growl.

"There is no denying me," the replica sneered. "You cannot refuse me, you cannot oppose me."

Defiance welled within the Spectre. "The hell I can't," she spat.

Without preamble, biotic energy spiraled out from the Spectre's hands, colliding with the replica's in a spectacular detonation of dark cerulean destruction. The prismatic explosion roared through the woodland area with deafening intensity as the first shockwave annihilated everything in its path…

…

Lakota woke suddenly, rolling out bed, gracelessly tumbling to the floor, landing hard on her hip. Her heart was racing and as she gasped for breath a sensation of light-headedness flooded her body, making her feel slightly dizzy.

Sensing the empty bed, the room's automated lights turned on, illuminating the space in a brilliant white light.

"What the hell was that?" the Spectre exclaimed. She was naked, black hair tousled with a look of utter confusion on her face.

"I was hoping you'd have an idea," Liara said breathlessly. She had exited on the other side of the bed, looking just as disoriented as her lover.

"I haven't a clue." Lakota immediately rolled to her knees with her left fist pressed against her forehead as white hot pain seared through her head. "Nnaah…"

"Shepard?" Liara cried in alarm. She scrambled across the bed toward the human, hesitating briefly before laying a hand on her shoulder. Relief flooded her system as she felt her lover's unmistakable energy signature beneath her fingertips. "What's wrong?"

"S'okay," Lakota panted as though unable to catch her breath. "Just… headache."

Liara hastened to the kitchen, grabbed some medication, a glass of water and then quickly returned to the bedroom. She knelt next to the Spectre holding out her hand which held two small capsules. "Here, take these. They're for the pain."

Lakota twisted so she was sitting on the wood floor which was cool on her skin with her back pressed against the bed. She placed the pills in her mouth swishing them down with a long drink of water from the glass she was handed. The pain still throbbed in her head, but she forced herself to close her eyes and take in a deep breath through her nose. Then, she exhaled very slowly while focusing her thoughts into the area of pain, directing her breath into the pain. The visualization technique concentrated on her breath flowing into the painful area and melting it away. After four deep breaths, the pain was bearable and her eyes opened to a pair of concerned blue staring back.

"What's happening to me?" she whispered plaintively.

The Asari's right left hand reached out, tenderly cupping her lover's cheek. "I don't know, but I promise that we will find out."

Lakota nodded silently, her gaze falling to the floor. After a thoughtful moment, she raised her head, green eyes meeting blue once again. "I said those exact words to you that night we argued. 'Leave this place.'"

"Yes, you did." There was no surprise in the researcher's voice, she had already worked that detail out for herself.

After placing the glass of water on the floor next to her, the Spectre's face fell into her hands as her head shook slightly from side to side. "This can't be indoctrination, can it?" The burden of uncertainty, especially with this topic, weighed heavily on her psyche.

"I think the fact you are even asking the question means that it isn't." Liara sat next to her lover, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in to a comforting embrace. "We'll figure this out."

Lakota turned her head to face the Asari, her hands dropping to her lap. Smiling softly, she said, "When you say it, I believe you."

"Good," Liara replied with steadfast conviction woven into her voice, "you should."

The Spectre had never been one to give up easily, and in this moment, was infinitely glad to have had her talk with Samara. Doing so had given her the courage, the wherewithal to open up with Liara, which had smoothed out the rough edges within their relationship, bringing them closer. She felt the full depth of that connection now and drew strength from it.

Straightening her shoulders, a renewed energy flowed through Lakota's body filling her with conviction. "Even with this thing bouncing around in my head, do you still trust me?"

Liara replied without hesitation. "Of course. Always."

"Then maybe it won't be so difficult to convince you of our next step."

Perplexed, the researcher repeated, "Our next step?"

"We have to leave Earth."

Tilting her head questioningly, Liara asked, "Where do we need to go?"

"Do you remember the planet we saw?" Lakota said cryptically. "I finally recognized it."

The Asari's brow furrowed, her mind once again racing through the familiar aspects of the planet they saw in the dreamscape. As the seconds ticked by, her blue eyes suddenly grew wide and lips parted slightly in excitement. "Eletania…" she murmured.

"Yes," the Spectre confirmed, happy that her lover had put the pieces together, as well. "We need to go to Eletania." Then, she rose, extending a hand toward the Asari to help her stand.

Liara smiled brightly. This was definitely a side of Lakota she was familiar with: The determined and courageous soldier, the confident and undaunted warrior. Even though the Spectre would never consider herself a hero, the Asari secretly did. Her lover had that unquantifiable characteristic of the most renowned leaders. The unwavering tenacity to strive, to fight and to never yield. Even when it looked as though there was no light at the end of the tunnel, she would keep digging, keep trying to do right and make up for what had gone wrong before, just because it was in her nature to do so. She may not conduct herself in the most diplomatic fashion, but results were guaranteed, and she usually left things better than she found them. When opposing her, others were rarely prepared to deal with her strength of purpose, her ingenuity, and her fortitude. Without a doubt, she was a force to be reckoned with.

Grasping the offered hand, the researcher was nimbly pulled to her feet. After glancing around the bedroom, she said, "Shepard?"

"Yeah?" Lakota replied just before stepping through the doorway and into the living room.

"Perhaps we should get dressed before heading off-world."

Lakota looked down at her naked body, then grinned in amusement. "Good point."