Liara woke with a shiver, gripping the duvet cover tight to her body in search of heat and comfort. The pressure the action created against her skin far more welcome than the invisible pressure already present around her heart and lungs.
It wasn't even that chilly in the apartment, but still she ordered the VI to raise the thermostat several degrees. Desperate to distance herself from the freezing temperatures of her dreams.
At first feelings of cold had elicited memories of Noveria. The return of the rachni had been both visually and intellectually horrifying, but paled emotionally next to her mother's violent demise.
Her later experiences on Alchera, finding the commander's mangled body, barely recognisable if not for the iconic armour holding it together, only added further fuel to her nightmares.
Of course thoughts of Alchera usually turned to the drell turncoat turned friend, Feron. Another dark tendril curled tight around her internal organs, but this time it was accompanied by a faint spark of anger and she struck out towards the light.
It was a familiar feeling, deliberately swimming in a roaring inferno of rage just to avoid drowning in despair.
It wasn't enough to evict the cloying black smog from her chest cavity completely though, just enough to give her the strength to drag her weary body from the bed and face another day.
Another day...
Each day that passed brought them one day closer to an inevitable reaper invasion. If that wasn't a depressive thought she didn't know what was. She envied the common people, living their lives unaware of the looming threat.
She'd always been an intellectual. Pursuing knowledge of her chosen field like it was the galaxy's greatest treasure. Only now did she finally understand that bizarre human idiom: 'ignorance is bliss'.
Heavy leaden limbs dressed on autopilot and she soon found herself downstairs, back to the kitchen counter, gazing out at the painting of Ilos, hands holding her morning dose of the human drug she'd become addicted to on the Normandy: coffee. The gentle warmth of the mug injecting her with nearly as much energy as the caffeinated liquid inside.
Slowly but surely she prepared for work, building up walls and putting on her mask.
The darkness was far from gone. It lay snarling deep inside her, waiting for a moment's weakness. The chance to leap, to sink its teeth in her and drag her down towards her doom.
But that was inside.
Outside no one would ever know.
Outside she was collected. Controlled. Maybe just a little cold.
...
"Have you ever faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have." Her mother's callous words fell easily from her lips. Words so often heard in the dead of night, words that once elicited fear and heartache, but now she'd become immune.
The human on the other end of the call had no idea about heartache but clearly was not immune to fear. The conversation wrapping up seconds later.
He'd pay. They always did.
The asari maiden rest her hands on the desk with a deep sigh. Taking the chance for a brief moment of respite to clear through her tumultuous thoughts and recenter her mind.
The silence was broken by a familiar voice from long ago.
"You know... I've faced asari commandos before, I really don't get what the fuss is about. I mean sure it's a challenge but-"
"Shepard!" Liara spun round in surprise, not expecting anybody in the room with her. "Nyxseris, hold my calls. Shepard, it's so good to see you."
"What, am I invisible?" A dual toned voice drawled.
"Garrus, it's good to see you too." Liara acknowledged before returning her attention to the miracle in front of her. Blue eyes drinking in every detail.
She'd known, of course she'd known. Even if she hadn't been an information broker with an ever increasing network of contacts spread throughout Asari and Council space, she still would have known Shepard was alive.
After all, there had been no missing the interview on Westerlund news.
The commander had never got on with that particular reporter. The night it aired Liara had smiled for the first time in weeks.
Still... there was a difference between knowing and having Shepard standing there before her.
The woman looked both exactly like Liara remembered, and nothing like the last time she saw her. All her blood and bones were inside for starters, not shattered splinters sticking out at unnatural angles.
Broken burger patty where a body was meant to be.
She still wore black N7 armour, just like the one in Liara's display cabinet back at the apartment. Only without any of the damage associated with orbital reentry.
She looked good. Better than good.
Lips slightly curled in their familiar teasing slant.
"So... you're flaying people with your mind nowadays?"
"He hired my services and didn't want to pay after I delivered the data." She shrugged. It was amazing how quickly, almost instinctively, she slipped into human body language when talking to the hair topped species.
"Ah... Garrus, remind me to pay Liara won't you."
"Pay me?" The asari queried.
"Well, I'd rather not be flayed and I need information on Thane Krios, most importantly where he is and how to contact him. I don't suppose you have mates rates?"
"Mates...?" Liara looked confused as her translator struggled over the human phrase.
"Not free of course." The commander was quick to clarify. "I wouldn't abuse our friendship by screwing over your business. Just a cheaper price for people who save you from prothean ruins."
"That's a rather short list of people Shepard."
"Exactly! If any of your other friends try and guilt you into discounts because you gave me one, you can tell them 'sorry, that wasn't friend discount, that was saving from prothean ruins discount."
There was a slight contraction in Liara's chest at the charismatic human's easy words. She didn't mention that she had no friends on Illium. Acquaintances yes, sources, employees, but not friends.
"How about a favour for a favour?" She counter-offered. "There are some terminals I need hacking."
"Ok, and I'll throw in lunch."
"Lunch?"
"Or dinner if you prefer. Mini Normandy reunion, you're coming. I know Karin would love to see you again."
"I'm coming?" Liara questioned the commander's matter of fact statement. "You realise I'm not on your crew and can't be ordered about anymore."
"I'm a spectre, I can order anyone." Shepard returned nonchalantly. "Unless you're on the Council, I can't order them, more's the pity."
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'abuse of power'?" Liara asked but her voice was fond exasperation rather than frustrated anger. The spectre smiled but otherwise chose to ignore the accusation.
...
"Well, this is easier than I was expecting." Shepard admitted as she browsed a shopping kiosk. Her attention only half on the goods as she kept a discreet eye on the terminal Liara had asked them to hack.
"That's because you're not doing anything." Garrus declared beside her, his outward countenance that of the traditional bored male dragged shopping but he was constantly sweeping their surroundings, ready to jump into action at a moment's notice.
"Hey!" She protested with feigned offence. "I'm a commander, I'm commanding."
"Right." The turian scoffed.
"What's the point in having specialists if we don't use them? There's a reason I always gave Tali the tech jobs. It wasn't just that she was amazing, it's 'cos I'm shit at it."
"Wait, you're telling me you're not good at everything?! I thought N7s were the best the Alliance had to offer."
"Dick." She swotted his arm playfully, not that there was any real chance of her hurting him when they were both wearing armour. "N7s don't have to be the best at everything, only most things."
"Have I mentioned I hate her?" Nikki looked up at the sudden topic change, surprised at the frustrated growl in her friend's voice. Following his gaze she expected to see Lawson or Chambers or someone equally objectionable, instead he was watching the empty space around the terminal.
"Kasumi?" She checked confusedly. "What's wrong with Kasumi?"
"Her cloak's too good." He muttered bitterly. "I normally get something on this." He tapped his visor. "Infrared, thermal, something. How can she hide all of it?"
"The Normandy manages." Shepard shrugged.
"That's a ship."
"Exactly, it's bigger it should be harder."
"You do know how your ship works right?" He checked, mandibles flickering.
"In marine terms? Sure. Store all the emissions now, release them later. Try not too wait too long or the heat builds up worse than Nonuel and the crew fries."
"Right, so where is she storing it? Why isn't she frying?"
"Does it matter? She's on our side."
"How are you not more concerned about this Shepard? We know where she's supposed to be and we still can't tell for sure. What if others have this tech, we could be surrounded by an entire Blackwatch cadre and not know."
"Doubtful, we're still alive. Now if STG gets hold of it..."
"Don't even joke Shepard. The salarians just need to hear it's possible and they'll have a prototype within two years."
"Relax, Kasumi built it herself, no one knows about it. Now why don't you join me in worrying about more important things."
The turian's eyes flitted around them for anyone suspicious he'd missed. Not noticing anything, he looked back at Shepard for a clue. The damn human was smirking as she pointed to a model ship on the kiosk.
"Reckon Cerberus would notice if I used their credit chit to pay for that?"
...
"Commander, what part of personal mission did you not understand? Did you have to bring him too?"
Oh boy, Lawson's already pissed and she doesn't even know about the model yet. Garrus thought to himself but said nothing. If there was one thing he knew about humans it was to not get involved when alpha females were facing off against each other.
"You said you needed backup, I brought backup." Shepard was nonchalant in the face of her XO's fury.
"I was expecting just you."
"Well you know what they say, 'no Shepard without Vakarian'. We're a package deal. Two for one. You should be happy you got such a great bargain."
Garrus blinked. He'd never heard that saying before. No one said it. Although he had a sneaky suspicion he was going to hear it a lot more from now on. Lawson didn't look impressed by the special offer. She looked furious.
"What've you told him?" She practically hissed.
"Nothing. Just that you needed backup. I assume it's important and we should focus on that?"
Miranda seemed to visibly deflate, a weary look overcoming her.
"My father's hired Eclipse mercenaries to secure..." her eyes flicked to Garrus, "the package. Niket thinks they're watching for me personally. I was going to take the family's car to draw them off."
"Ok, what about us?" The commander was fully professional now, no more teasing. "Do you want me to watch over your... package?"
"No, Niket's handling that. I'll need help if Eclipse manage to force me down. They'll be under orders to take her alive but I doubt that will extend to me when they realise she's not with us."
"Good thing I brought Garrus, he's got experience fighting Eclipse." The spectre couldn't resist one last dig. The Cerberus operative merely sighed, turning and leading them to a nearby skycar.
"I'll drive!" Shepard was quick to offer but not quick enough, Miranda sliding into the driver seat.
Garrus promptly hid in the back out the way, fervently praying the car crash he was about to witness would only be figurative and not literal. To his surprise Shepard didn't press the matter, strapping herself into the front passenger seat with only a brief, barely audible mutter.
"Thank you Shepard, I appreciate this." Miranda said with soft sincerity as she lifted off, voice a fraction brittle. "I hadn't planned on Eclipse, but they never planned on you."
The commander opened her mouth then forced it shut. Swallowing down whatever witty remark she'd inevitably been about to utter. There was an awkward silence before she managed a gruff: "Don't mention it."
Garrus tried not to fiddle with his assault rifle in the back. Shepard lent forward to turn on the radio then quickly changed her mind. Sitting back, her fingers tapping out a staccato rhythm on her armoured knee. The beat cut off suddenly as she caught sight of Miranda's irritated face.
Fortunately they were interrupted before the situation could deteriorate. A mantis gunship swooping behind them, forward gun turret swivelling threateningly as a second mantis fell into formation on their starboard side.
"Just how certain are you that they want us alive?" Shepard queried as a warning shot was fired across the bow, trying to encourage them to land.
Miranda remained silent, focusing on putting the car through a series of twists and turns, trying to prolong the chase and her sister's head start as much as possible. Nikki gripped helplessly at nonexistent controls, only just managing to stay silent and not shout out instructions.
She hated being in the passenger seat.
The mercs soon gave up on polite suggestions, instead firing with intent to disable. The skycar lacked the defences of a military shuttle and they were quickly forced down.
Miranda strode out the car with all the elegance, force and fury of a tidal wave. Immediately battering the waiting Eclipse with a verbal assault.
Nikki followed with a little more caution. Checking her shields and tech armour were both on max, her weapon's safety off, before she stepped out the slight safety the vehicle offered as cover.
She was partially reassured when she noticed the faint flicker of a biotic barrier covering her XO. At least the woman wasn't being totally reckless.
Only mostly. She thought as she catalogued the nearest cover in her mind, noting enemy positions and what weapons they each had. Mentally prioritising each opponent for when things inevitably went south.
In fact she was a little surprised they hadn't already. Eclipse might have more restraint than say the Blood Pack, but they weren't exactly known for shying away from a fight. It clicked a moment later when she realised the force arrayed against her was well below platoon strength.
Her team was supposed to be the distraction but they were the ones that had been wrapped up far away from the objective. All the time this small Eclipse squad was talking, the rest of the company could be closing in on the package. Miranda's side didn't have a second team to secure the objective. Just a single unarmed civilian.
Nikki internally cursed. She should have insisted on a second team providing a security detail the moment she heard Eclipse were involved, the mercenary outfit never hired themselves out in small numbers, but she'd understood this was a personal matter for Miranda. Understood that the private woman didn't want people knowing about her sister, about the potential leverage that could be used against her.
She was also rapidly coming to realise that the usually ice cold woman wasn't used to having a personal stake in a mission. Wasn't used to caring. Wasn't used to pushing the fears and doubts and distractions away. She wasn't thinking clearly, rationally. She wasn't used to emotion and so she didn't know how to control them when they threatened to overwhelm her.
Nikki didn't want to take control of the mission. It was Lawson's op, her heart and soul invested in it's outcome, and Shepard knew any attempt to take command would destroy the already tenuous relationship between her and her XO. Any grudging respect and trust between them would shatter. She was here as backup, nothing more.
Didn't mean she couldn't provide a helpful little nudge in the right direction.
She stepped forward, into the biotic's peripheral vision. Providing both visual and verbal confirmation of her support.
The Eclipse leader had been kind enough to offer them the chance to walk away without fighting. It was only fair she extended them the same offer. Naturally he refused.
It was like the referee's whistle at the start of a biotiball match, both sides suddenly launching into action.
Bullets cracked and fizzled against her shields as she rushed into cover, returning fire with cool precision.
They traded overloads like pingpong balls. Both sides' defences temporarily holding.
She fucking hated Eclipse. Too much money. Too well equipped. Why couldn't they have shitty cheap armour like entry level mercs. Or Alliance marines.
Not that she'd ever shot Alliance marines.
She'd worn their shitty armour though. Once your shields were down you had three, maybe four, shots worth of integrity. Then shit really started hurting. You fail to get out the line of fire by the sixth shot, you better start praying for a medevac.
A salarian's shield finally failed. Shepard launched an incinerate. He screamed. Flailing as his flesh caught fire.
A bullet to the head would almost be a mercy. She conserved her ammo for those enemies still actively fighting.
She ducked down. Switching out the nearly depleted battery on her shields for a fresh one.
A human trying to flank her discovered an extreme allergic reaction to bullets when Miranda expended an entire mag into him.
Eclipse were now down to three.
Even numbers.
Not so even fight.
Their leader had tech armour though. Shepard loved her tech armour. It had saved her life more times than she could count.
She didn't love his tech armour. It made him harder to kill. Bastard.
"Lawson, ten o'clock, warp."
The speed with which the Cerberus operative followed her order was gratifying. The explosion when Shepard detonated it with another incinerate was even more gratifying.
She emptied the rest of her thermal clip into the blazing inferno just to make sure then paused.
Everything was still.
Unfortunately not everything was silent.
Even over the rush of blood in her ears she could still hear the groans. Stubborn bastards whose corpses hadn't worked out they were dead yet.
She moved cautiously across the blood slick floor. Pistol alert for remaining danger.
Raspy breathing had her looking down at the remains of a salarian. One pupil was dilated. The other? Suffice to say fire and eyeballs don't mix.
Half his face was melted. Armour scorched. Chest cavity still rising and falling despite it all.
The commander relinquished a solitary bullet to ease his pain.
Then she took his thermal clips.
Not like he needed them anymore.
Miranda took the looting a step further. Picking up an enemy radio. Then they were on the move.
An elevator took them down to the cargo processing yard. Just a quick jaunt to the other side, another elevator back up and they'd be nearly there.
Eclipse had other plans.
They also had combat drones, loki mechs and rocket launchers.
Too much fucking money.
She supposed she should be grateful they were only using their mantis for troop transport and not air support. Bit stupid really, but she wasn't about to give them tactical advice.
Especially since doing so would let them know her squad had a radio. She liked getting advance warning about enemy troop movements. Her team was outnumbered and outgunned, she'd take any advantage she could get.
More mercs, more fighting, more deaths.
Each new assault saw a few more dinks and dents in their armour but they'd been lucky so far. A few cuts and bruises but no serious injuries. Nothing the potent combo of medi-gel and adrenaline couldn't overcome.
Nikki cursed as an encounter with an asari vanguard left her visor cracked. It would only need one well aimed bullet for it to shatter. Fragments lacerating her face.
She waited until the rest of the current wave was dealt with then crouched behind cover to pull her helmet off. She knew some people preferred fighting without helmets for the extra visibility but they were mostly either biotics or idiots.
She might not have much brains but she planned on protecting them best she could.
Her gauntlet covered fist entered her usual head space and punched outwards. It took several strong hits before the visor finally broke. She scraped around, removing the last shards before jamming the helmet back on her head.
It wasn't perfect but it was better than nothing.
She was just in time too, another Eclipse squad bursting out the elevator ahead.
A frustrated growl tore from her lips. The longer their firefights lasted, the less likely they were to reach Miranda's sister in time.
Shepard knew the pain of losing siblings. She wouldn't wish that on the Cerberus operative regardless of how rocky their relationship was.
She switched aim to the pressurised containers of hazardous chemicals that littered the cargo area. Several mercs were shredded by shrapnel in the resultant explosion. Pained cries filling the air along with the stench of burning flesh, now odorous thanks to her missing visor.
It was a pungent, but sadly not unfamiliar, smell.
Bile tried to rise in her throat but she swallowed it down with practised ease.
It soon became their modus operandi, blowing containers even if no enemies were near them as they leapfrogged their way between cover. It might piss off whatever corporation the property belonged to, but she wasn't willing to risk the opposition using her own tactics against her.
...
"How do ya want to handle this Miranda?" Shepard asked, gun never wavering from the asari captain.
They'd finally found Niket. Eclipse did have him, just not under duress.
As a rule Nikki was against harming unarmed civilians, but she was highly tempted to punch this prick for the damage he was doing to Miranda.
She might not have a degree in shrink-ology, but even she could predict what sort of psychological fallout would occur when someone who already had trust issues was betrayed by their only childhood friend.
"Betrayal's a common trait these days." Garrus observed behind her and Nikki realised despondently that the turian wouldn't bat an eyelid if their XO gunned this particular civilian down in cold blood.
That meant the human male's sole chance of survival likely rested on her shoulders. Unfortunately for him she was a bit preoccupied with the large claymore shotgun aimed in her direction.
At this range Captain Enyala couldn't miss. At this range a claymore would tear straight through her shields and armour.
If she was lucky maybe the recoil would break the asari's arm. She could laugh about it while she bled out on the floor.
If Miranda wasn't busy being distraught and pedantic about Niket maybe she'd notice the commander's peril and help her out with a biotic barrier. That might just make the situation survivable. Liara and Kaiden had both used that tactic to save her in the past.
Of course if Kaiden was here he'd be horrified at the idea of not trying harder to save the civilian's life. He was the most moral person Shepard knew. He bordered on the line of being too moral and idealistic sometimes.
The conversation had gone on too long now for Niket's death to be considered 'heat of the moment'. To be categorised as anything other than a revenge killing or cold blooded murder.
She'd try and talk Miranda down. For the sake of her own conscience and Kaiden's voice in her head. But she wouldn't take her eyes or weapon off the asari to do so. She'd rather be a live hypocrite than a dead saint.
After all, Niket was unarmed but far from innocent.
"I never want to see you again." Shepard was admittedly a little surprised when Miranda took the non lethal route.
"Done." A shotgun blast rang out. Niket's body crumpling to the floor. The great debate had been for nothing. Captain Enyala taking matters into her own hands.
At least Nikki's conscience was in the clear.
Even better, she was no longer in the direct line of fire of a claymore. She immediately opened fire. Her bullets would have hit her mark if her target hadn't been sent flying across the room in a surge of biotics from a furious Miranda.
For someone who'd been seconds away from killing her childhood friend, the Cerberus ice queen sure seemed upset about his death.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) the assorted Eclipse mercs left on the docks were all clearly armed, and Shepard had no qualms in attempting to kill them before they could kill her.
...
"Would it really be so bad for her to know she has a sister who loves her?" Shepard asked gently as Miranda tried to head back to the Normandy with only a long distance glimpse of her sister.
"I don't know, sometimes I really wish Solana didn't know I existed." Garrus contributed to the discussion.
"You shut up. You go talk to her." Nikki pointed at the relevant teammates as she spoke.
"I don't know Shepard-..."
"Hey, I didn't get my ass shot at for nothing! I demand a family reunion. Go over there or I'll have to call daddy dearest and invite him instead."
It was the wrong thing to say. Miranda's frayed nerves still sensitive and Garrus only just managed to restrain her in time as she launched herself to assault the commander.
"Woah, easy Lawson!" Nikki stepped back with her empty arms raised in surrender. "I was only joking."
"Too soon Shepard." Garrus opined, cautiously releasing the longer haired woman but remaining in between them.
"Some days I really wish the Illusive Man let me stick a control chip in your brain." A few months ago Nikki would probably have punched the Cerberus operative for those grumbled words. Instead she tilted her head back and laughed.
"Stop stalling Miranda. Go on, we'll wait here."
...
Nikki carefully placed the still boxed Alliance cruiser and UT-47 kodiak shuttle models in the same draw in her cabin where she kept her craft supplies.
Glancing at the complete and proudly displayed SR-1 Normandy, she wondered if she had time to start on her new purchases before the proposed reunion meal, but realised a shower was probably a better idea.
She'd barely even got her boots off when her omni-tool chimed with an incoming message.
Her frustrated groan turned into a smile when she realised it was from Trish, the grin only growing as she read:
[I suppose I should be thankful you've not threatened to teach Nicky 'why'.]
She briefly considered her partner's amazing suggestion before shaking her head resolutely. Raising her omni-tool she typed a quick reply.
[I'm not a sadist.]