Chapter Two
Eden Prime was probably one of the quieter colonies Shepard had ever come across. Of course she was also used to doing things out in the Terminus. Out here, in the traverse, things were a bit quieter for the most part. Occasionally one might hear about pirates or batarian raids, but not as often as the violence and chaos that fills the terminus.
Wrex may have found it boring, but if Shepard were to be completely honest, she was enjoying this. Sometimes her life was filled with a little too many gun fights or explosions even. Fighting off pirates, getting into gun fights over precious cargo one colony may desperately need, or even defending shady characters every now and then. A quiet moment here and there was nice. Though she would likely never give up her life as a merc to save her skin. She was addicted to the action.
It was especially quiet now though. It was night time, and most of the scientists had settled in for the night, along with most of her crew. Shepard had set up a small campfire just outside of the small housing set up the scientists had created for their archaeological team that had expected to begin work the following morning. Shepard was a bit of a night owl though. She could survive on four hours of sleep if she wanted.
So she sat there in front of her campfire, resting against a large slanted rock sticking out of the ground with a book. She was in her civilian clothing, a tank top and some loose fitting pants, though she was always armed with at least a pistol. She found the precaution always handy if something arose. Especially when she was hired on to protect someone or a group of someones. But she also enjoyed the simpler things, like her book.
She didn't just ready any old which way though, she didn't like reading digital copies if she could help it. She loved the ancient old fashioned real deal sort of book. The feel of the cover, be it paper or hardback... The feel of the pages as she turned them. Something kind of nostalgic for simpler times before humanity found its way off planet Earth. And reading from the light of her campfire just made things feel even more relaxing somehow. She loved to camp out whenever she could. Perhaps she was a bit old fashioned that way.
"Shepard?" Came Liara's voice from behind. Shepard blinked and cocked her head back, seeing Liara standing behind her rock, though the image was upside down. Shepard grinned though as she looked back down at her book, patting the patch of dirt next to her, inviting Liara over.
Liara circled the boulder, sitting onto the ground to Shepard's left. "What's up?" Shepard asked she flipped the page, her eyes still floating across the words in her book. Liara watched the human a moment. She had seen Shepard like this before, on previous digs. The asari had to admit, she kind of liked watching Shepard like this. So relaxed and calm, despite the exciting life she led.
Liara looked to the camp fire, holding her hands out, enjoying the warmth the fire gave. "I could not sleep." Liara admitted as Shepard's eyes shifted to the left as she watched Liara a moment. She half smiled as she closed her book, taking note of the page she was on before resting the old book onto her lap.
"Excited for your big dig in the morning?" She asked teasingly. Liara flushed but smiled lightly.
Liara shrugged though as she let her hands rest in her lap. "They think they have found something quite remarkable this time." Liara stated. Shepard folded her arms behind her head as she watched Liara, still laying against the rock. "They're saying it's the biggest find for humans since the archives on Mars." Liara went on. Shepard didn't know squat about protheans, but she knew Liara loved her work on the since dead species. Always excited to share whatever she could with whomever would listen.
Honestly, Shepard never minded listening. Liara had often chatted her ears off about the protheans on the digs Shepard had helped protect from any potential pirates or thieves out to steal the ancient artifacts. Anything prothean was worth a fortune to black market collectors, even though owning anything prothean was considered illegal in council space. "What did you find this time?" Shepard questioned curiously.
Liara couldn't hide the smile. She knew Shepard was probably just indulging her. "Well, I didn't find anything." Liara bashfully admitted. "But they needed experts before the Alliance comes to take it away, and a former colleague invited me in on the project." she continued. But she smiles still, a bright excited smile as she looks Shepard in the face. "They think it may be a beacon. I can only hope it is a working beacon. Goddess, what information it could hold, what it could possibly tell us about the protheans." she says, the excitement growing in her tone. Shepard couldn't help but grin. "Maybe it holds information on new technology, or new medical advances, or maybe it's an archive on what prothean civilization was like." She adds for good measure.
Shepard chuckled. "Or maybe it's a blue print for a prothean toaster." Shepard joked, feeling Liara gently shove at her for teasing Shepard feeling herself rub against the rock from the motion. The smile remains though. Liara was finally getting used to Shepard's humor it seemed, and in a way it made Shepard's heart quicken at the concept.
"Do not tease me." Liara almost giggles as Shepard shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. Shepard could not help it. She rather liked the smile it always brought to Liara's face. God she knew she was in trouble she wasn't just crushing on the asari, she was really developing feelings for her. And having been away for so long it only added to the muddled mess in her head about wishing she could just ask Liara to join her already weird group. But she would not take Liara away from her passions.
Liara always loved that grin Shepard would gain around her. It was... oddly charming. Human charm. Something most other races did not have and sometimes did not comprehend. Even Liara had a hard time figuring it out when she first met humans on prothean digs. But she grew to understand it, at least a little, after a while. "Or no, maybe it's someone's photo album on their pet dog, Fido." Shepard continued to tease as Liara shook her head, but gave her an earnest laugh.
"I do not even know what a dog is." Liara retorted, but she still seemed amused by Shepard's teasing. Shepard just shook her head as she grinned still. It was so easy to tease Liara honestly. But Shepard never wanted to go too far and frustrate the asari either. So she let the teasing end there as she sat up, adding a bit of wood to her fire, making sure it didn't go out.
Before the two could go on any further a new voice rang out from behind, and the sounds of someone trotting coming to a stop. "Sometimes I hate your ship, Shepard." Tali said as she suddenly appeared to Liara's left before she plopped herself down onto the ground in front of the fire. Tali always had an interest in Shepard's camp fires and would often accompany the human when she'd make them when she could.
"Tali!" Liara said excited to see the young quarian. The two usually got along famously, always swapping stories on their favorite fields, Tali with her engineering and Liara with her prothean digs.
You couldn't see it behind her mask, but you could hear the smile in Tali's voice as she leaned over, offering Liara a sideways hug. "We've missed you!" Tali chirped to Liara as the asari blushed at the hug. Always so socially awkward was the prothean expert as she tried to return Tali's friendly gesture.
"I have missed you too." Liara replied once they released their hug. Shepard looked to Tali with a slight look of amusement though, probably about Tali's comment on her ship.
Shepard crossed her legs as she adjusted to get a better view of the quarian. "Have a lover's quarrel with the ship, Tali?" the human joked. Tali folded her arms across her chest, the slightest sound of a huff as she looked away from Shepard.
"Sometimes I wonder why I even agreed to be your engineer, your ship is a bosh'tet." Tali replied, though the slightest hint of humor laced her voice. Shepard snorted at the comment as she leaned back against her rock, staring up at the night sky of Eden Prime as Tali and Liara began to catch up amongst each other over their past year's adventures and Liara's excitement about this prothean thing they were going to dig up in the morning.
Nicole Shepard couldn't help but enjoy the moment, knowing that having Liara amongst their crew felt like they were complete in a way. Or at least for as long as this dig lasted anyway.
VWVWV
Morning came quickly. The scientists were buzzing about the camp site, getting their equipment together on the train platform, all of them chatting about what they would need, how they would proceed, and some of them excited for what they might find. Liara was no exception, she practically bounced around as she helped get things together and plan for the day ahead.
Meanwhile Shepard's crew were already ready to go, all of them armed and armored, watching everything as they spoke amongst themselves. Wrex seemed a bit more livelier this morning, talking about how he hoped some pirates would try something so he could shoot things. Kaidan sighed at the old krogan, shaking his head while Shepard listened on with amusement, but watching the scientists rush about with the crack of dawn at the same time.
Liara finally made her way to the small merc group, all smiles, and if she were given the chance she might have been bouncing up and down in place. "We'll be leaving in about fifteen minutes." She said, all too happily. Shepard wondered if the asari even got any sleep with how excited she had been for this.
Garrus' mandibles flared once as he watched the asari. "How did you guys find this thing anyway?" he asked curiously as one of the human scientists handed Liara a data pad. No doubt a list of items needed for their dig today.
She looked it over, her eyes still lit up with excitement. "Some of the colonists were surveying some land when their equipment found some unusual readings from underground. They decided to bring in some scientists to have a look." She started as she passed the data pad back to her colleague with a nod. The scientist nodded back as he rushed off to do whatever it was that he had to do. "When the scientists checked it out they determined it was a prothean artifact, they are thinking it is a beacon." She continued, her excitement un-contained.
Wrex spoke up next, "Can I shoot it?" He asked, perhaps a little more hopeful than he should have been. Liara just gave him a bewildered look for all of a few seconds before someone in the distance called for her in the distance.
She looked over her shoulder and waved at the person who called for her. "No, Wrex, you cannot shoot it." She said sounding both confused and unamused. His shoulders hunched as he let out a deep rumbling sigh of disappointment. Shepard snorted while Garrus patted the krogan on the back. "I shall see you all on the train." Liara said before she practically bounded off as her name was called a second time.
"She certainly is excitable..." Kaidan commented as he watched the asari's retreating form as she rejoined her team of scientists, looking like she was chatting away about something with the salarian who had called for her.
Shepard smirked. "You have no idea, Alenko." She replied as she looked over towards the pile of crates and supplies that was starting to be hauled towards the train. "Come on, might as well make ourselves useful." she said as she marched over towards some of the scientists to help load the crates up.
VWVWVW
Saren Arterius, a turian Spectre had heard about the chance of a prothean beacon. Since he was a spectre he easily gained access to the information on hand about it. A group of colonists had apparently stumbled upon it and now a group of scientists were planet side too look further into what it was.
He was already en route to the planet. But for far different reasons. He also knew a System Alliance vessel was inbound to pick up the artifact for the council. He knew he needed to get his hands on it before they did. He must not allow them to fumble around with it and mess everything up before he could obtain the information on the beacon.
It was vital to his mission that he knew what was on that beacon. It may contain the key to what he must do. If he had to he would kill anyone who got in his way. He could not let a bunch of primitives to mess up his mission directives. He would be swift and merciless if he needed to, but he would retrieve it before the Alliance could.
"How far away are we?" he asked his asari ally gruffly, his tone bordering impatience. She stepped up next to him, out of the shadows, standing tall, looking straight ahead, ridged even, though a sense of self pride flowing through her.
She finally looked down to Saren, her tone neutral, holding no emotion whatsoever. "Three hours." She replied. Saren seemed to snarl at her response, his impatience growing as he felt a strange prickling sensation in the back of his head, voices whispering in his ear for patience.
He waved his hand in dismissal. "Make sure we are ready for when we arrive." he ordered as she nodded her understanding before turning away and disappearing from view. He could only hope the Alliance would not arrive first or get in his way.
VWVWV
I know, another chapter down same night I first publish this story. What can I say, I was excited a bit and just wanted to get what was floating in my head out of my system so that I might sleep lol. I hope everyone enjoys what there is so far. Hopefully I will work on this some more soon. I'm excited to keep going with this story. Until next time.
P.S. If y'all want look up the song Chosen by Generdyn. It's been kind of the influence for this story.
