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Loyalty and Limerence

Part 2

Chapter 3

(Content Warning: This chapter contains a somewhat graphic dream sequence, slightly more graphic than the rest of the story thus far. If you would like to skip it, stop reading at "Plunk. Plunk." and start again at "Beep. Beep." In addition, this chapter contains rather extreme survivor's guilt which might be uncomfortable, depending.)

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Pain. Burning, all consuming pain. Darkness. Oblivion.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and the world erupted in pain. His lungs screamed for air, and with a ragged gasp it felt like his whole body was on fire.

"Garrus!"

Jane. His eyes popped open, but the world seemed to swim around him. He felt something against his hand, and he reflexively closed his fingers in an attempt to reach her. Instead, they closed around something hard and cold. The hand on his shoulder pulled at him, and the world seemed to lurch, bringing a blurry face into view.

"We're getting you out of here, Garrus." He could feel the panic lacing her seemingly calm words and felt a cool, soft pressure against his forehead before he felt his eyes close. He tried to say something, anything, to reassure her. But when he opened his mouth, it took all he could not to scream as the pain seemed to intensify ten fold. He could taste the blood in his mouth and the world seemed to spin and lurch again. "Just hold on."

Darkness started to seep into the edges of his vision, and all he could focus on was the splash of red and the bright, wide eyes gazing down at him.

"Radio Joker. Make sure they're ready for us." The pain seemed further away now, as though it were happening to someone else. He tried to smile up at her.

"Better hurry. He looks bad."

Oblivion.

Pain. Voices, but nothing intelligible. He was jostled and suddenly there was a bright light somewhere above him. He managed to open his eyes and saw a human woman's face hovering above him. Not Jane's.

"It's going to be okay, Garrus. Hang in there, this will help the pain." Relief, the pain ebbing away slowly. He closed his eyes again.

Oblivion.

"...ot your fault…"

"...ust stop, I…"

"...serious, you nee…"

"...ohn, I get it."

"It's not your fault, you did everything right."

"I know."

"This could have happened even if I was there."

"I know. Knock it off, John. I happen to be well aware of the unpredictable nature of casualties in battle."

Silence.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Jane. I didn't-"

A sigh.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, John. I get it, I really do. You did what you had to do, I don't blame you for dying. It sucked, it really fucking sucked, words don't even begin to describe how much it sucked. But I get why you did what you did."

"Then why are you so pissed right now, if you aren't upset at me and you aren't upset with yourself?"

"Of course I'm upset with myself. Do you know what I said to him? How I treated him? I punched him, John. At your memorial!"

Silence.

"Seriously?"

"Not my finest moment."

"I'll say."

"Look, I was hurting and itching for someone to lash out at. I'm not proud of it. And he could have died today and I never would have been able to make it right with him. I never would have forgiven myself for that."

"He'll understand. You know that, right?"

"Maybe. But I don't know if it will ever be the same between us, if he'll ever forgive me for what I said and did."

"I think he will, it might just take a little time. You guys were close, you'll have that agai..."

"...hope so."

"...ow close exactly wer…"

"...wasn't like tha…"

"...uh-huh…"

"...ck you, John."

Oblivion.

Plunk. Plunk. Plunk.

The sound of dripping. It echoed out of the darkness from far away in a soothing, repetitive pattern. Slowly, he opened his eyes, looking around for the source of the sound. It was closer, and seemed to be creeping up until it was coming from just before him. The darkness started to ebb away, leaving behind a beautiful, shimmering cacophony of colors.

He froze as the shapes coalesced into recognizable images.

Blood. Everywhere around where he stood, there was blood. Red, blue, and every shade in between, splattered across his face, his body, streaming down his arms and dripping from his fingers. Blood pooled at his feet, and looking down, he saw ten pairs of familiar, glazed eyes staring up at him. It trickled from screaming mouths, oozed from weeping gashes, streamed from ragged wounds.

Their eyes gazed up at him with accusation from broken, crumpled bodies, their deaths crashing down heavy upon his shoulders with deafening finality. He felt himself stumble and fall to his knees under the sudden, unexpected weight.

"No-" His voice cracked as it escaped him in a gasp, but further words seemed beyond him as though he were struggling with something in his throat. A scream bubbled up and threatened to break free from his chest. He tried to bring his hands up to press his palms into his eyes, wanting to squeeze the images out of them, but found that he couldn't lift his arms.

A horrifying, familiar electric screech rent the air and when he looked back up, the bodies were starting to twitch. The eyes that blinked up at him were a pulsing, glowing electric blue. Wires and tubes erupted from their mouths and other places, wrapping around their bodies as they started to pull themselves up.

The bodies of his fallen teammates took staggering, jerking steps as they came to stand around him, heads lulling even as their eyes continued to focus in on him with piercing intensity. He didn't have the energy or will to move, realizing suddenly that he welcomed whatever fate they deemed appropriate for the man responsible for their deaths.

But instead of lurching forward to attack, they parted suddenly to allow another to step forward. With dawning horror, he struggled to recognize the achingly familiar face of a long lost friend. His visible skin was charred nearly black in places, peeling back to reveal the bleached bone beneath.

One of his arms seemed completely crushed where it hung limply, and his armor was pulverized, crumbling more with each step as he came closer. Blood oozed from the cracks, bubbling and vaporizing as the air around him seemed to shimmer and ignite. The visor of his helmet was cracked, but the eyes that stared down at him glowed a vivid red. Slowly, the man raised his other arm up, palm open as if to beckon, welcoming him to join them in death.

He didn't need to see the N7 insignia upon the man's chest to recognize his old Commander. The scream finally erupted from his chest as he scrambled backwards a pace or two only to fall back onto his elbows, shaking with the effort to continue looking up at him.

In the flash of an eye, Shepard was gone, replaced with a shorter, slighter frame. Red, lank hair and shadowed, haunted eyes stared down at him with a sneer of disdain. Her formal dress blues hung on her as she stepped forward slowly to stand above him menacingly. She clenched one fist in shaking rage.

"It should have been me, Vakarian."

She pulled her fist back and-

Plunk. Plunk. Pleep. Pleeeep. Bleeeep. Beeeep. Beeeep. Beeeep-

When his eyes finally opened his eyes, the first thing he processed was the harsh overhead lighting and a nearby, quiet, rhythmic beeping. Things around him slowly started coming into focus and he made to lift his hand only to find that it felt like it was made of lead. He twisted his head and groaned as a lightning bolt of pain shot up his neck and across his face.

"Spirits…!" He gasped and the world span, causing his stomach to churn unhappily.

"Easy there, try not to move, Garrus." Said a familiar voice from nearby and he closed his eyes for a moment in hopes that the wave of nausea would fade. Upon opening his eyes, he registered the face attached to the voice, and nearly shut them again due to the fact that he must be dreaming.

"Doctor… Chakwas? Going to be honest… you were pretty… low on the list of people… I expected to see." Garrus muttered, trying not to grit his teeth from the pain that talking caused. He heard her chuckle before responding dryly.

"It's good to see you, too, Garrus. How are you feeling?"

"A bit like I got… chewed up and spat back.. out again… What happened? Where am I?" He slowly turned his head, allowing him a better view of her from where he lay. While she definitely seemed a bit older, she also seemed to be doing well, though there was something about her that seemed different, too.

"Hold on, I'll give you something for the pain. It will be a low enough dose to take the edge off without muddling you up too much." Dr. Chakwas leaned over to press a few buttons on a nearby console and he tried to smile, somewhat successfully.

"Less pain sounds good."

"How much do you remember, Garrus?" He closed his eyes, trying to think back. He'd been in the apartment, pinned down. He'd called his father, then…

"Jane!" His eyes shot open. "Where is Jane?" He heard Dr. Chakwas chuckle before she responded.

"She's fine, don't worry. I don't know where she is right now, but as soon as I'm finished checking on you, I can send for her if you would like." Garrus nodded slowly, wincing at the pain the movement caused. "What else do you remember?"

"We were taking out the mercs that had us pinned down… Then there was the gunship. I don't have many clear memories after that." He remembered more than that, the events leading up to being trapped in that apartment starting to play on a reel through his head. He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes as he felt a stab of pain in his chest.

"I see. Well, it appears as though you took a rocket to the face." Dr. Chakwas stated plainly, although a bit dryly, and the words took a moment to sink in. "You are very lucky to be alive, Garrus. We're lucky Jane and her team got you back here as quickly as she did, and that Dr. Solus was willing to assist. While I do have training in turian medicine, the damage was quite extreme and his training far exceeds my own."

"Ah… I see. How… How bad is it?" Garrus tried to keep the tremor out of his voice, returning his eyes to look up at the ceiling.

"I'm not going to lie, Garrus. The damage was quite extensive. But thanks to some clever cybernetics and a good deal of shear, dumb luck, I think you will have full functionality of your face, jaw, neck, and mandible eventually. You will just need some time to heal, though there will be scarring. There is very little we can do about that. I'm truly sorry." The words hung in the air for a moment as Garrus processed the new information. It was a lot to take in. He lifted a hand up to his face but stopped as his fingers brushed against a soft, gauzy bandage.

"Can I see?" That caused her to stop, her lips pursed a little in contemplation. He poked gently at the bandage, causing her to swat his fingers away.

"Stop that. Or I'll restrain you again." The doctor snapped in annoyance, "I don't happen to have a handheld mirror at the moment, but either way, I would give it a little before you examine it. Let yourself process the events that happened to you before you add anything more to process. It may be difficult to adapt to the changes in your facial features." Garrus grunted at that, somehow feeling like a little scarring was pretty low on his somewhat extensive list of priorities at the moment.

"Ah. Well, that's… fine, I suppose." After a moment, Garrus noted that the pain really did seem to be fading, and he decided sitting up might be within his scope of capabilities finally. With another groan, he shifted and slowly started to push himself up to sit with Dr. Chakwas' help.

As the sheet fell down his bare chest, he immediately noticed his state of dress, or lack thereof. Looking up, he spotted the remains of his blue armor and froze. The cracked and charred chest piece was quite a sight, and he suddenly understood what she'd meant when she'd said he was lucky to be alive.

He looked up, not wanting to let his mind drift to the What Ifs attached to other possible outcomes. As his eyes wandered the room, they widened as he took in the details. He was in a very well stocked and equipped medbay, it easily blew every other ship he'd served on out of the water, even the Normandy. His eyes jumped from one piece of tech to another, and he couldn't keep the wonder out of his voice when he turned to look at the doctor.

"Where… am I?"

Dr. Chakwas peered at him, her eyes sharp and searching as she seemed to consider her answer. The pause before she opened her mouth caused anxiety to creep up his back, considering all number of difficult or dangerous answers to the question. Nothing prepared him for her answer, however.

"You are in the medbay of the Normandy SR2." The words hung between them before crashing into him like a thunderstorm.

"The what?" Garrus couldn't keep a tinge of disbelief from his voice and he did his best to twist his head around to further examine the room, searching for answers in the details around him. Seeing the windows along the wall behind him, he carefully turned to peer out of them, seeing an eerily familiar mess hall and oval shaped passageway. And yet, it was something else altogether, in scope and details. "The Alliance… rebuilt it?"

"Not exactly. At least, not the Alliance." Her words were hesitant, as though unsure how much to say, which put Garrus on edge.

"Who's ship is this?" Glancing back, his eyes paused on her desk, a familiar symbol jumping out at him. It was the same one emblazoned on Jacob's suit. Looking back out the window, he saw it again plastered across the shoulder of the sour looking cook's uniform in the small kitchenette. Slowly, he brought his eyes down to the doctor's desk before landing on the same logo etched across the side of her coffee mug. Finally, his eyes returned to Dr. Chakwas. She was no longer wearing her standard Alliance medical uniform, but instead a very sleek, white uniform that he'd never seen before.

"There is no easy way to say this, Garrus, and so I shall just put it plainly. This ship was built for, and is currently under the command of none other than Commander Shepard." They remained silent for a moment, eyes locked as Garrus tried to process the information.

"So… Jane was promoted to Commander, then?" Garrus asked, his voice hesitant as he struggled to understand the odd way she had phrased the statement. He was well aware that Jane was in some sort of command role, and that had seemed like a somewhat melodramatic way of explaining information not altogether new to him. The doctor's eyes widened at his question, her mouth opening to respond before clicking shut, a brow lifting slightly as she tilted her head in consideration.

"That's not exactly incorrect, technically, though it doesn't matter now that she's left the Alliance." Garrus shot up in shock, feeling as though he'd been hit.

"She left? But why? She loved the Alliance."

"You will need to ask her, I suspect we all had our own reasons for doing it." All of a sudden, he could see the green on the Presidium, the bedraggled Lieutenant clenching the folded flag, her eyes dead and her lips twisted in a sneer. A lot had happened and it had been a long two years. He didn't really even know her anymore, who knows what she would or wouldn't do. But then Garrus processed the rest of what the doctor was saying.

"Wait, none of you are Alliance?"

"Not anymore, some of them have never been. Garrus, this ship was funded, built, and staffed by Cerberus."

Cerberus. Cerberus.

Experiments with rachni, Thorian creepers, husks, thresher maws. Corporal Toombs. Admiral Kahoku.

"Cerberus. Humanity-first paramilitary group infamous for complete lack of morals. You expect me to believe that Jane Shepard left the Alliance to join Cerberus. Along with you and countless others. I'm sorry, I might have been hiding in the ass crack of the galaxy, but I wasn't so out of touch that I missed hearing about the end of the world, which I suspect would be the only thing that would convince Jane to do something as asinine as joining Cerberus." Garrus all but spat, his eyes narrowing as his fingers clenched the sheet draped across his lap. Dr. Chakwas smiled wearily at him, shaking her head sadly.

"I wish I could tell you why she joined, but I don't know. Like I said, you will need to ask her. As for myself, I am here for Joker, and for Commander Shepard. Commander John Shepard." If her words earlier had hung heavy, these hit his chest like a brick, knocking the air from his lungs.

"What?"

"He's alive, Garrus. He's most likely on the deck above us as we speak. He's alive and he's in command of his ship. That's why I'm here, that's why most of us are here. That's why you are here." Dr. Chakwas explained kindly, but Garrus could barely feel the comforting hand she placed gently upon his shoulder.

"But I… I don't understand. I thought he was dead. We all thought he was dead." His own voice seemed to echo back at him from down a tunnel, his mind spinning at the implications of what the doctor was saying.

"I know this is a lot to take in, Garrus. From what I understand, he was essentially dead. Cerberus spent the last two years rebuilding him. He has only been awake for about a week or two."

"I-" He swallowed, looking away, "I don't know what to think. I can't possibly believe that's true."

"I can corroborate the Doctor's story, Officer Vakarian, and offer additional information if necessary." A cool, electronic, feminie voice echoed through the room's speakers.

"Who, or what, are you?" Garrus raised a brow plate as he glanced upward.

"I am the Normandy's artificial intelligence. You may call me EDI." He brought a hand up to rub his eyes, gingerly avoiding his damaged mandible.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"While I am equipped with several humorous sub-routines for use in a plethora of situations, I am currently not using any of them, Officer Vakarian, but I suspect you know that, as you are not laughing. I believe the best option would be for you to go up and meet with the Commander. He is currently in the Communications Room meeting with Mr. Taylor."

"I see. Thank you. EDI."

"You are welcome." He wondered if he imagined the slight smugness in its… in her voice.

The door to the medbay whooshed opened with a melodic beep and a beautifully familiar voice made his head shoot up.

"You'll have to forgive her, she's still learning about sarcasm. I am trying my best to teach her, though." Garrus couldn't stop the smile from growing on his face, despite the twinge of pain. Jane stepped into the room, her stride so casually confident that it tugged at his heart strings.

"Jane." The name rolled off his tongue in such a wonderful, comforting way that until recently, he'd never thought to hear again. She smiled as she came to stop before him, a bundle tucked under one arm. But then, for a split second, it wasn't this Jane standing before his eyes, but the one from his nightmare, the one from his memory. Shadowed, dead eyes glaring up at him from behind limp red wisps of hair, hatred and fury radiating off her in waves as dress blues hung off her unreasonably lean frame.

But this Jane wasn't wearing dress blues. He blinked to clear the vision, and when he looked again, Jane was wearing casual civilian clothing, of all things, which shouldn't surprise him given what Dr. Chakwas had told him. She was wearing a worn, black hoodie with a red and white stripe down one arm, a pair of loose fitting dark pants with a number of pockets along with a pair of combat boots. The outfit seemed to suit her, somehow, though it seemed so alien in comparison to her usual Alliance uniform.

"Garrus." The warmth in her voice made his chest tighten in a way that took him right back to their time together all those years ago, and yet something was different now in a way he was frightened to examine. He had noticed a new intensity between them back on Omega, but now he also felt a chasm stretching between them. A distance he didn't know how to bridge, and he wondered if she felt it, too. Time, unanswered questions, and the events at the memorial service filled the chasm with churning choppy waters, making it a daunting task. He felt his face starting to warm in embarrassment and confusion, and struggled to fight the urge to run. Instead, he decided to see if they could fall back into their old familiar banter. Forcing a grin, he narrowed his eyes and gestured up at his face.

"She won't give me a mirror. How bad is it?" He let his voice grate with mock frustration, allowing his widened mandibles to hint at his attempt at humor. Jane looked his injuries over with a raised brow, a slight look of concern flicking across her face before she allowed a quirk of her lips.

"Hell, Garrus. You were always ugly." Her eyes narrowed, her grin becoming sly, "Slap some face-paint on there and no one will even notice." She leaned back, crossing her arms, tilting her head ever so slightly, her eyes locking with his in challenge. Before he could stop himself, he let go a bark of laughter, wincing as the sudden jerk of his mandibles caused a stab of pain.

"Don't make me laugh, damn it. My face is barely holding together as it is." Garrus chuckled softly, and he let his eyes wander her face. As they fell upon the small new scar bisecting one of her eyebrows, he could hear her playful voice bouncing around in a memory from early in his days aboard the original Normandy.

Not that I'd mind either way, scars can be damn sexy. Isn't that right, Wrex?

Later, he'd blame his next words on the pain drugs, as they seemed to tumble out of his mouth before he even managed to acknowledge them.

"If memory serves, some women find facial scars attractive." Garrus drawled with a brow plate raised suggestively. Jane's eyes widened and her pink lips parted ever so slightly, and he almost laughed at the complete look of open surprise on her face. He started to panic slightly as a faint blush started to creep up her cheeks, hoping he hadn't overstepped a boundary. Backtracking, he found his usual comfort in humor. "Mind you, most of those women are krogan…"

Jane continued to stare at him for a horrible, awkward heartbeat before she threw her head back and laughed, bringing a hand up to cover her face.

"I can't believe you remember that!" Jane wheezed between chuckles as she attempted a deep breath, rubbing at an eye. Garrus couldn't help but chuckle along with her, feeling as though, perhaps, that chasm between them wasn't as uncrossable as it seemed. But after a moment, they both fell silent as their eyes met again. Hers held his captive and he shivered as he noted an almost predatory gleam in them.

There was a sudden cough, and Garrus tried not to jump as they both remembered the other woman standing just behind Jane.

"I'll just step out for a moment, give you two some time to catch up." Dr. Chakwas stated delicately as she smiled, making her way toward the door.

"Yes, ah, thank you Doctor." Garrus muttered, looking away and lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Of course, Garrus." She lifted a hand in farewell before stepping through the door, leaving behind a silent room.

Once they were alone, Jane sighed and ran a hand through her hair before dropping the bundle she'd had on the other bed just behind her. She leaned her weight back and with a little jump she used her hands to pull herself up and back to sit on the bed, her legs dangling above the floor.

"Jesus, Garrus, you really scared me back there. I thought you were going to die, there was so much blood." She braced her elbows on her knees, leaning forward to rest her face in her hands. She looked so exhausted all of a sudden. He didn't know what to say, suddenly feeling like there were too many questions, too much to say, and yet not enough words. Too big a chasm.

It should have been me.

"How long have I been out?" Garrus started with an easy question, trying to push all the hard ones back into the box he'd tried to keep his thoughts of her in the past two years.

"About two days. The surgery took about 8 hours, you thrashed around a bit while on the table and they had to restrain you until you could be sedated. You've been resting ever since. How long did they have you cornered up there in that apartment? You looked exhausted when we found you." He turned from the red haired woman before him to look down at his hands in his lap, thinking.

"The timeline in my head gets a little fuzzy, but I think it was probably three or four days, not counting the events leading up to that. I was running off stims and energy bars for a while there."

"Jesus, Garrus." Jane looked up just enough to stare at him over her hands before running her fingers through her hair again. It was hard not to fall into his old habit of watching each lock of hair as they traveled between her soft looking digits. "You're lucky to be alive."

"So I've been told." The dry reply tasted like sand in his mouth.

It should have been me.

"What happened? How did you end up in that situation?" She asked, but Garrus couldn't bring himself to look up, instead fiddling with the blanket in his lap, his throat getting tighter as he tried to figure out how to put everything into words. The moments dragged on, the silence stretching. Jane seemed to sense his struggle, for when she continued, her voice was gentle.

"I contacted Aria, she's lending me a team to handle… everything we found back at the apartment. The bodies… I'm assuming you were the one who… I'm assuming they were… You can let me know what you want done with them, if you want." Garrus closed his eyes, leaning his head back, feeling a deep ache in his chest, which he tried to ram down into a different, new box somewhere in the back of his head.

"Jane, I-" He coughed as his voice came out cracked and tight, "I know I promised you an answer if you got me out, but I need… I need a little time."

"It's okay, I understand. I really do. When you're ready to talk, I'm ready to listen." He glanced over at her, and she nodded firmly, her eyes set. When their eyes met, she smiled softly.

"Thanks. I believe you promised answers, too, though. Cerberus? Really, Jane? You remember those sick experiments they were doing. How did you end up taking orders from them?" Her smile instantly evaporated, and something behind her eyes shifted. He cursed silently as the chasm between them seemed to grow a mile in the space of a breath at the mention of the name, like she put on a mask.

"Cerberus-" She spat, "-doesn't matter. What matters is this ship, here and now, and the team we're building. I'm not here for Cerberus." She sneered at the floor, and Garrus felt something in his chest loosen slightly, "I'm here for John." At that name, he raised a brow plate.

"Jane, the things Chakwas was saying, I can't honestly believe any of it. Shepard, he can't… He's dead." Garrus watched her carefully as he stated it bluntly, part of him waiting for the acid and spitfire of the memorial service that he remembered too vividly. Jane remained passive, her shoulders even loosened a little.

"It's true, Garrus. He's alive, he's here. John's in command of this ship, the Normandy SR2. It's all for him, we're all here for him. It's why you're here, it's why we were sent to find Archangel." Suddenly, her grin was back. "A title which, by the way, you will not be living down anytime soon."

He found it impossible to raise to her bait, her previous words still echoing around in his head.

"Jane, I can't… I want to believe you. So badly. But-"

"Commander Shepard is still upstairs in the Communications Room if you would like to speak with him." EDI's artificial voice filtered through the room's speakers again, making Garrus jump.

"Why don't we head upstairs and you can see for yourself? I couldn't honestly believe it until I saw him, either." Jane jumped forward, her feet thudding onto the medbay's floor, her hands on her hips. Garrus hesitated only a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, okay. Let's go." He shifted to pull his legs around to the edge of the bed, but stopped when Jane held out a hand to stop him with a raised brow.

"Hold up there, Big Guy. Not that I wouldn't mind an eye full, but-" She cut off as she turned to grab up the bundle before her, returning to toss it into his lap. "It might be a little inappropriate to run around the ship in the buff." Jane grinned as he looked down and remembered that he was completely naked under the sheet.

"Crap…" He felt the heat creeping up his face again as he readjusted the sheet, causing her to laugh.

"Sorry we didn't have anything cut and sized for turians, wouldn't you know it. I took the liberty of popping back to Omega to scrounge you up something to wear until you can get some… less charred equipment." She gestured to the bundle in his lap, which he suddenly realized were clothes. "I'll meet you in the hall when you're done getting dressed. EDI, could you please shutter the windows so he can have some privacy?"

"Of course." With that, the windows glazed over, blocking out the view into the mess hall.

"Thanks." Was all he managed to mutter as he took a look at the clothes she'd picked out for him. Jane turned to leave, sticking one hand in a pocket, the other raised in a lazy goodbye.

As the door shut behind her, he let himself breath in the peace of finally being alone. Suddenly, he felt ten sets of glazed, dead eyes watching him from over his shoulder, out of sight but never out of mind. The weight settled heavily on his shoulders. Clenching his eyes shut, he rammed them down into their box.

It should have been me.

Illium, 1.25 Years Ago

"Jane, it's good to see you again." Liara said warmly from where she sat behind her desk, an oddly solid and imposing figure in comparison to the fidgety doctor they'd rescued from a crumbling ruin not that long ago.

"Liara, likewise." Jane murmured as she came to sit across from her, the chair plush and comfortable, a disconcerting juxtaposition to Liara's hardened gaze. "You seem busy as usual."

"The information business never sleeps, and sometimes neither do I. How can I help you this time?" Liara asked, her eyes darting to her computer screen for a moment before flicking back to her, betraying her disinterest. Jane hesitated, glancing around the small office.

"There's some people I need information on, and I was thinking you might know where I should start." Jane pulled up her omni-tool and ran the bug scanning program Vasir had given her with a quick wave of her hand. It came up negative. "What do you know about the group called Cerberus?" To Jane's surprise, Liara visibly started in her seat, her widened eyes jumping away from her screen and back to Jane in a flash.

"Wh-why do you need to know about Cerberus?" Liara stumbled over her words, concern growing on her face. The strong reaction surprised Jane, causing her to pause and examine the asari before her as she continued carefully.

"I need to infiltrate their ranks for… reasons. And I'm hoping you can set me in the right direction." She explained, opting for a majority of the truth, if perhaps not all of it. Liara's eyes darted between hers for a moment before she looked away, her shoulders slumping in what almost appeared to be relief before her brows knit in thought.

"I… may be able to help you." She said after a moment, her attention returning to Jane. Jane felt triumph start to blossom in her breast until Liara added, "Under one condition."

"Which is…?"

"I need information on the Shadow Broker." Liara's shoulder set as her jaw tightened, and Jane sat back in her chair in surprise.

"And how exactly am I supposed to help with that?" It was hard to keep the exasperation from her voice.

"I suspect that Cerberus has the information I desire, and you're going to get it for me when you infiltrate them." Liara explained calmly as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. It was a tone of voice that expected, no, demanded cooperation, and Jane was set strongly in mind of Liara's mother. She chuckled dryly at the thought.

"Okay, deal. Assuming there is information to find on the Shadow Broker, I will get my hands on it for you. But my mission is my top priority, and I won't do anything that compromises it. Understand?"

"Yes, of course."

"Cerberus for the Shadow Broker. Seems fair enough." They both leaned forward and shook hands before returning to their seats. "Why, exactly, are you so interested in the Shadow Broker anyway?" Jane asked as she leaned back into her chair and was surprised to see a glint of steel in the other woman's eyes at the question.

"It's a long story, which I don't have time to go into right now. We crossed paths not long after the attack on the Normandy, and I'm going to make him pay for what he did." Liara spat, the cold vehemence causing the hairs on the back of Jane's neck to stand up.

"Sounds like a story worth hearing."

"If you get me that data, I'll tell you the whole story."

"Deal. So, about Cerberus…"

"Yes, I have some contacts I can get a hold of to make sure you gain the attention you need. Given their current recruitment practices, you could already be on their radar now that you've left the Alliance." Liara started pulling up holo screens, flicking between them quickly as her eyes scrolled through information, "But I recommend getting a job and attempting to blend in, it will help remove any hesitation they might have about approaching you. Perhaps as a mercenary or bounty hunter. I believe Omega would be a good place to start, they have a presence there these days." Jane nodded slowly, bringing a hand up to tab her chin in consideration.

"Sure, I think I can manage that."

"I have a… an acquaintance on Omega I can get you in contact with, I think she can get you some jobs. In fact, if I remember correctly, she's currently in the market for someone with a… certain set of skills that I think you are suited for." Liara's fingers paused for a moment, a slow smile spreading across her face as her eyes flicked up to Jane momentarily. "I think you two will get along. I'll shoot her a message to expect you." Jane raised an eyebrow, but Liara looked back down at her screens without further explanation. "When are you planning on leaving Illium?"

"As soon as I have a plan."

"Okay, I'll forward you some information." Jane nodded slowly as she stood, running a hand through her frustratingly long hair.

"Thank you Liara. I really appreciate your help."

"It's my pleasure, Jane. I wish I could do more." Liara looked up again, a genuine smile warming her face.

"This is more than I expected, to be honest. Anyway, I should go." Jane turned to leave, but paused as Liara called out.

"Jane, wait. There's one more thing." Liara stood, her brows knit again with concern, "I'm not really sure why, but the Collectors are interested in Shepard." The unexpected information hit Jane over the head like a brick, almost causing her to stagger backwards.

"But… John is dead." The words still felt bitter in her mouth.

"I know." Liara's eyes shifted away for a moment before returning to her. "Regardless, watch out for the Collectors. They're up to something, but I don't know what. The Shadow Broker is working with them, and their attention may turn to you, or anyone who used to be connected to Shepard. They have agents everywhere, so please watch your back."

"Noted, thank you for the heads up." Jane stated, attempting to mask the confusion and discomfort in her voice. The warning was eerie and ominous, especially because she wasn't entirely sure who the Collectors were besides vague rumors. Maybe it was time that changed.

"Of course. Take care, Jane."

"You too, Liara."

"Why Omega?" Tela Vasir inquired, her voice laced with doubt, her lips twisted in a faint sneer as though she smelled something vaguely foul.

"My contact says they have a strong footing there and it should be easy to be noticed." Jane explained as patiently as she could as she strapped her armor on, piece by piece.

"Well, I can't argue with that. I've just never liked Omega much." Vasir crossed her arms, looking away with a bored expression.

"It's not that different from Illium from what I've heard." Jane pointed out, eliciting a snort from the asari.

"Illium is just Omega with expensive shoes, but it sure as hell smells better here."

Jane stood and finished doing up her armor's buckles before reaching over to grab her weapons, affixing them to her back one by one in silence. Once she was done, she grabbed her small pack, opening it to check on her few belongings. Traveling light seemed the best bet, given the situation. Finally, she looked up to find Vasir watching her.

"You're on your own from here on out. Keep in contact, but only when you're able to get a secure connection. Take every precaution, assume they are always watching. You can't be too careful. If they discover you, they're not going to give you the benefit of the doubt." Vasir explained, her eyes and feet set. Jane looked at her, bemused.

"If I didn't know better, I'd almost say you were concerned." She grinned as she shifted her weight to the side, crossing her arms as well. Vasir rolled her eyes, unamused.

"I have a vested interest in this mission. I've been trying to access Cerberus for a while now, and this is the closest I've gotten. I've got a few other back up plans, but please. Don't fuck this up."

"I'm hardly the only option for placing a mole amongst their ranks…" Jane scoffed, turning toward the doors. "But it's been swell, Vasir. Thanks for showing me the ropes. You'll hear from me as soon as there's something to hear."

"Good luck, Shepard." Jane raised her hand in a farewell, but as she reached for the door's holopanel, she froze, a thought tickling the back of her mind. Turning part way back toward the asari, Jane leveled her with a searching gaze.

"Vasir… I've never asked, but… Why the interest in Cerberus? Why are you so invested in this mission? And don't tell me the reasons the Council gave. I can tell there's more to it than that." Vasir remained where she was, her eyes focused on something far away through the window. The moment dragged on for some amount of time before her eyes flicked to Jane, measuring and weighing.

"They have information I'm interested in recovering. One way or another, I'm going to get what I need." Vasir stated, her voice low and cold, before snapping her eyes away, back out the window. When it became clear that that was the only answer Jane would receive, she turned and left, her face tight as her mind raced.