Author's Note: Well, that took much longer than anticipated. I stray a bit from canon over the next few chapters. I hope you like what I do with it. Thank you so much to those who have added The Reason to their favorite or follow lists, and an extra thank you to those who reviewed: biotictrash, Kirabaros, Nefaria Darksoul, bayanbasri, Vorcha Girl, Jules Hawk, Kirsah, ela11, Zacharti, Analya-Shepard, Kateriel79, and Kallie6891. Your words and support mean more to me than I can say, and I am looking forward to seeing what you think of the rest.

Thank you again! Enjoy...! - TLC

Chapter Eighty-One

Kaidan had never been to the Asari homeworld, but he would imagine it to be lovely. Bustling with activity, with life. A bright sky with lush, rich landscaping. Millennia of history, of living and being. The knowledge and the presence of the great species everywhere. He imagined it would have been breathtaking. There are moments in Kaidan's life he wishes he could forget. The first life he saw taken, the first time he took a life, and today.

His breath was taken by the stench of fire and brimstone. The deep, resonating sound of the Reaper's laser weapon broke through the air at random intervals. The constant drone of reaper forces, husks, cannibals, brutes was broken only by the shrill shriek of the Banshees. Their comms were open and Kaidan could hear the ground teams ragged breathing. He could discern Shepard's over Liara and Javik's thanks to her random cursing.

They had been planet side most of the morning and if felt like they had made next to no progress. They needed to get to the Temple of Athame, to the team of scientists there, but the planet was overrun. The reapers hit with full force, and there was nothing to be done to stop them. He could hear Liara's almost gentle whimpering through the battle, and while it should have sparked concern, or sympathy, it annoyed and frustrated him. Sloan and he had to leave Vancouver, leave Earth, months ago while it died around them and they didn't have time to mourn what they had lost.

He swallowed the bitter flavor those thoughts left in his mouth. Liara may be the Shadow Broker, she may be a skilled biotic, and a powerful asari, but that didn't make her military. She was still a civilian and this was a lot for someone, anyone, to take in. The scream of a Banshee rang out closer than they would like and Kaidan felt a flutter in Shepard's biotics just ahead of him.

She paused, dropping to cover and took a deep breath. Kaidan dropped next to her. Their eyes met through their visors. He could see the sweat dripping down her brow. He watched the guilt flash in her eyes and it nearly stole his breath. He should have known she'd hate herself. Not only for the liberty time granted, but because they had procrastinated leaving for Thessia. They had stayed in bed much longer than they had anticipated. Neither wanting to leave the comfort and safety of Anderson's apartment, of her bed, of each other's arms, and return to the war.

He wished they could be back there.

In all reality, the hours they waited, the liberty time, it wouldn't have saved Thessia. Now, they needed to get to the Prothean data before the planet was lost for good. Before he had a second to reassure her, she stood from cover, vaulting over the barricade and Charging into the line of husks advancing on their position.

This was the first time Kaidan was in battle since his optic implant was replaced, and he had to admit, the heat at his implant site was pleasant, a gentle hum of spent power that made him feel strong as they fought their way across the planet, eager to reach the temple. It was a race, and one Kaidan feared they'd lose. They were racing the destruction from the Reapers, and their depleting ammunition. They had limited cover from what remained of the asari air force.

Shepard gave the order and they ran from cover to cover. Kaidan's boots pounded on loose rock in time to his hearts knocking against his ribs. They reached the far side of the bridge, finding cover and a moment to breathe. "Maybe next time we go to war the Alliance could spring for air support!" Liara snapped desperately, her shrill voice trembled.

Shepard flared; Kaidan felt it. She paused, glaring at her friend for just a moment. She turned on a heel and muttered, "Maybe next time I ask the Asari for help they won't sit on the key to stopping this goddamn war until they need me to pull their asses out of the fire." The words were audible only because the comms amplified them in their helmets. Liara turned and started to respond, her weapon free hand flailed wildly. Shepard pushed passed her and took point. Kaidan watched as Liara gaped, her face flushed as the asari stared after the Commander. Javik's chuckle rumbled as they followed Shepard to the temple's entrance.

The temple was barricaded, and Kaidan couldn't shake the sense that they were being watched. The resounding echo of the Reaper's weapon shook the ground, and he brushed off his unease. He knew he wouldn't feel better until they were back on the ship. The sooner they got the artifact and got out of here the better. The barrier was military grade and Liara stepped up to override it as Kaidan turned his back to the entrance, his eyes wide and weapon ready.

"Do your people always mix religion and military?" The accusation was not missed from Javik's tone and Kaidan glanced at the ancient warrior. The Prothean was standing close to Liara, watching her over her shoulder. She admitted it was unusual, adding that the religion itself was nearly dead. Javik simply chuckled and Kaidan had to wonder what the Prothean knew that he wasn't sharing. It did little to settle his nerves. After a few tense moments, silent but for the sound of the battles being fought in the distance – the sounds of a dying planet – the barrier came down.

"Let's go; the scientists should be inside." Shepard's order was short, and sharp, and they fell into a familiar position behind her as she led them inside. The temple was beautiful, or it had been before the war. Like most of the planet, Kaidan was sure. Vaulted ceilings, curvaceous architecture, and shining surfaces – it was pristine, it was stunning. Artwork decorated the space, images or sculptures of the goddess Athame. It was impressive, and an example of how advanced asari culture had been.

When they reached the center of the room, it didn't take long for the sweet, metallic scent of blood to reach Kaidan, even through the filters. They had found the scientists. Their bodies were left lying together, almost as if piled there once they were dealt with. Kaidan swallowed hard as he crouched down to examine them. Liara, Javik, and Shepard continued to investigate the temple. "Their throats were slit." His announcement was met with a surprised stare over Shepard's shoulder. "Reapers didn't do this."

"Alright," Shepard's voice was tight, and Kaidan felt the sensation of a presence at his back again. He couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't alone. "Let's find the artifact and get the fuck out of here. T'soni, Tevos wasn't able to give me any insight into what we're looking for. Do you know?"

"No, I do not. Though, the temple is full of ancient relics. One of them is bound to be what we are looking for." Kaidan's gut twisted at the sadness in her tone. He shook the thoughts from his head and stood to aide in the search. Though, he had to admit, he had no idea what they were looking for. He opted to keep his attention on the area around them, unable to shake the feeling that they weren't alone. He thought it was better to watch their backs then search for something he had no way to identify.

As much as he empathized with Liara, and as sorry as he felt that this was happening to Thessia, he couldn't help but find some kind of amusement each time the investigated an artifact. Liara would explain its cultural significance to the asari; then, Javik explained how it was actually Prothean influence. Liara started out unable to believe he was telling the truth, but with each explanation she seemed unable to defend her people and more resigned to the fact that they had in fact used Prothean technology to advance themselves.

Kaidan's attention snapped to the room size statue of the goddess herself when one of the artifacts reacted to it. Liara suggested it was because of the Prothean cipher Shepard had received back on Feros. "Or it's the Prothean standing next to you," Javik suggested and Kaidan shook his head when Liara flushed. Liara responded and Javik continued to instigate as Shepard moved towards the statue of Athame. Kaidan watched Javik and Liara as their focus turned to one another. He glanced at Shepard and started to follow her. Javik and Liara's voices rising as they continued their constant back and forth.

She reached the statue, and Kaidan stayed near her. She was focusing on the statue, her eyes narrow. Much to his chagrin, she removed her helmet and clipped it to her hip as she stepped closer. She placed her hands on the statue and closed her eyes taking a deep breath. Liara and Javik's words were reaching a fevered pitch, their voices bouncing off the walls. "Mother fucker! Shut the fuck up!" Shepard bellowed, as she turned and glared at Javik and Liara. The aliens' bickering silenced as they turned towards her, the last of their echoes fading away. "Keeping this information secret broke dozens of galactic regulations; not to mention we may have been able to stop the reapers years ago! Goddamn it! Javik! Get over here!"

The Prothean was at her side moments later. Their heads together as they spoke low over the base of the statue. Kaidan turned to Liara who had her omni'tool open. He wanted to say something to her, but was distracted when he thought something moved in his periphery. He clenched his jaw and stepped around to watch Shepard and Javik's back as they considered the statue.

He could not wait to get off this planet.

He jumped and spun at the roaring, tumbling sound behind him. He turned just in time to see the statue fall to pieces and a Prothean beacon standing in its place. The building shook as the reaper moved closer to the temple. "We must hurry! This place is unstable!" Liara's words were lost as the beacon activated. A bright blue orb activated and drifted towards them. Kaidan stepped back, giving it space. It hummed and felt like a presence all on its own. His heart raced as he realized this was it. This was the key. The war could be stopped with … whatever information this held.

The Prothean VI spoke, its digital voice calculating. "Obtaining chronological marker. Hold…" They waited. Kaidan's eyes flicked from Shepard to Javik and back to the VI. "Timescale established. Post-Prothean cycle confirmed." Javik established it was one of their computers. There was a longing in his voice that Kaidan found oddly comforting. As if it was proof Javik did feel emotion. "Reaper presence detected. This galactic cycle has already reached its extinction terminus. Systems shutting down."

Shepard and Liara spoke up, but Javik just shook his head. It was useless, the VI powered down. Before the orb could disappear, Kaidan barely heard a soft clinking sound followed by a metallic roll on the floor at their feet. "Get down!" Kaidan shouted and threw himself at Shepard. He took her down and rolled so his back was to the grenade in the same second it detonated. He'd barely had enough time to throw up a shield before the explosion. Fire burned behind him, the heat pounded at his back as he looked down at Shepard beneath him. His ears rang, punctuated by every frightened beat of his heart. He met Sloan's eyes and held them. She was dazed. When her eyes locked on him, he watched them clear. Once he was sure she was okay, he pushed himself off her. They were on their feet seconds later. He looked around for Liara and Javik and found the asari helping the Prothean off the floor.

His rifle was drawn as he scanned the area for their attacker. He expected reaper troops to be closing in on them. Instead, he met the frozen stare of the Cerberus assassin, Kai Leng. The assassin's hand was outstretched and the orb floated gracefully across the space to land elegantly in his hand. As the man lifted his hand opposite and spoke into his comm, Kaidan noticed the gunship behind him. "Target the supports."

Kaidan and Shepard fired, but Leng was too fast. The gunship's weapons engaged, taking out the support walls of the temple. The floor started to crumble beneath them and their attempt of stopping the Cerberus agent died as their attention switched from apprehension to survival. They ran to stable footing, making it just in time to see the gunship disappear into the heavens.

Shepard was cursing and screaming as she ran after the gunship. Broken communication filtered through their headsets from the asari troops on the ground. They stood, staring after the gunship as they listened to the last asari fall.

They listened to Thessia die.

"Cortez," Shepard spoke into her comm. Her voice distant, detached, cold. She ordered them to the extraction point, and they fell into step together. The silence between them was broken by the sounds of distant battle. It was strange, the contrast; it was a hard fought battle to get to the temple. Now, on their way back, they were unheeded. It was as if the reapers sensed their absolute defeat and barely gave them a second thought.

Silence still held firm as they reached the shuttle. Shepard went to Cortez as the other three went to the back of the shuttle. They strapped themselves in and Kaidan kept his eyes on Shepard's back as she spoke with Cortez. The shuttle took off, gravity shifting and Kaidan's stomach rolled. He could feel Liara's emotions as even she had a hard time controlling her biotics. Kaidan looked to her, her eyes closed and her hands clenched in her lap. Javik looked at Kaidan, then Liara, before closing his eyes and facing forward, saying nothing.

To say it was uncomfortable on the shuttle was an understatement. Thankfully, the ride from Thessia to the Normandy wasn't long. Gravity shifted as the shuttle entered the bay. Kaidan looked to Shepard who turned to face them as Cortez set the shuttle down. "Why did you lie?" Liara's voice was low, and rumbled as her biotics spiked.

"I did not lie," Javik replied absently as the door to the shuttle opened. A breath escaped Javik before he stood. Liara fumed next to Kaidan. She glanced at him quickly, and shot up chasing Javik into the bay. Shepard followed, seemingly content to let her go.

"The asari … My people were not animals for your kind to experiment on!" Her voice rose as she followed him. She whipped off her armor and met Javik at his assigned space in only her underarmor. The Prothean's gaze moved over her body. Kaidan and Shepard walking towards James' workbench together to deposit their weapons. Kaidan met the young man's eyes for just a second before the Lieutenant turned his gaze back to the bickering aliens. He could tell James was concerned and if the day had gone any better he would have smiled. The man was clearly smitten.

"You wanted to know more about your history, asari. Do not get angry with me because you do not like what you have learned." He was dismissing her, barely giving her any attention – like she was a child, insignificant to the war. Kaidan turned towards them as Shepard was already on her way over to the locker. They had seconds before it boiled over, and exploded in the room.

Liara was glowing as her biotics engaged and she roared. "I have a name! It's Liara T'Soni, use it, Prothean!" She was pointing at him, her energy racing over her body and Kaidan held out a hand when James moved to go to her. The younger man looked down at him, and settled back on his feet with a sigh as their attention moved back to the duo.

"Knock it off, Liara," Shepard ordered, annoyance thick in her voice and Kaidan lowered his hand and watched the exchange.

"My home was just destroyed," Liara's glowing eyes moved to Shepard, and Kaidan could see the Commander's cocked eyebrow from across the bay, "and all he can do is gloat!"

"And I flew away from my home planet to fight this goddamn war and your people hid secrets from me, even after I asked them for help! Frankly, I don't give a fuck that your feelings are hurt! You may not like the truth, Liara, but you can't blame him for it!" Shepard snapped, and Kaidan turned to walk towards them, fearing the argument would continue to escalate.

Liara deflated, if only slightly, and turned her eyes to the floor with a sigh. Javik spoke, his voice softer than Kaidan expected, "Besides, there is nothing to be done about it now." Liara's biotics dissipated as Kaidan reached them. He placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder and she lifted her head and met his eyes for a second before continuing to remove her own armor.

"You are Prothean," Liara muttered, defeated. Her voice shook from something other than rage this time. "You were supposed to have all the answers. You should have stopped this." That was it. That was the true source of Liara's frustration. She had held the Prothean on such a pedestal, she had held such high expectations, that there was nothing left now. She was crushed, and she looked it. Not only had she lost her home, her people, but everything she had believed in and studied for her entire life was wrong.

Javik's voice was comforting, and it sounded a bit odd coming from the hardened warrior. "We believed you would. Long ago we saw the potential in your people. Even then it was obvious: the wisdom, the patience. You were the best hope for this cycle. So, you were … guided, when necessary."

"Clearly, you were wrong. It did not help," Liara sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. She seemed, once again, like that young, timid archaeologist they had met all those years ago, and Kaidan's heart broke a bit for her. He glanced at Shepard who was staring at the floor. A crushed slump to her posture, and he knew she was taking the defeat hard.

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Javik reminded her, reaching out and placing a hand on Liara's arm. She turned and looked up at Javik, and Kaidan felt like he was imposing on a private moment. He glanced back at James who was clearly trying not to pay them any attention, focusing a little too hard on their weapons, and Cortez who was hovering nearby. "Your world may have fallen, but as long as one asari is left standing, the fight isn't over."

"I guess that goes for Protheans, too," Liara spoke softly. Kaidan finished removing his armor and dressing back in his BDUs. He sat on the bench near Shepard as he waited for her to finish dressing.

Javik reached up and wiped a tear from Liara's face, a weapon falling to the floor behind him, but Kaidan ignored it. "Despair is the enemy's greatest weapon. Do not let them wield it… Liara T'Soni." Liara nodded, smiling weakly. She glanced at Shepard, then her eyes darted across the bay and her cheeks flushed purple. She pulled away and went to the elevator. Kaidan didn't have to look up to know James followed her.

"That was … unexpected," Shepard offered to Javik as they watched the elevator doors close. Seconds before it did, it seemed as if Liara fell into James' embrace.

Javik turned to Shepard with a noncommittal shrug. "We still need her talents. If grief overcomes her, she will be lost to us."

Kaidan scoffed and spoke before Shepard did. "Did you mean any of that?"

Javik didn't answer right away. He stood stoic and silent for so long Kaidan thought he was going to pretend he hadn't heard him speak. "She believes it. So, she will keep fighting. Isn't that what matters most, Major?"

Shepard interrupted his response, "Don't think for a second that Liara couldn't have finished that?" Her hard gaze locked on the Prothean's and Kaidan watched the tension build between the two. Sloan may be disappointed and upset, but Liara was still her friend and at the end of the day she would always protect her friends.

"As could I," Javik's response was cool, and succinct as he turned on a heel and moved to call the elevator.

Shepard heaved a great sigh before she fell onto the bench next to Kaidan. He let his hand move to her waist and she leaned forward. She rested her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. Kaidan moved his touch to long, slow caresses along her spine. Soothing, and relaxing. The day had not gone as planned. They had nothing to show for their endeavor.

"Commander Shepard," Specialist Traynor's gently accented voice rang out over the comm, echoing in the cavernous space.

"Yeah?"

"Councilor Tevos is on the QEC for you, but before you speak with her I may have information on Kai Leng's movements and destination after he left Thessia." Shepard seemed the perk up at the news and she turned to meet Kaidan's eyes.

"Thanks, Traynor. I'll be right up," Shepard answered and the comm cut off. "I'm going to go have a chat with Tevos. Would you see what Traynor has?" Shepard asked as they stood. Kaidan nodded as they walked side by side to the elevator. "Hopefully, we can follow him. I am so over Cerberus being everywhere, all the time. I'm sick of them having the upper hand. I want to hit them where it hurts. I want to kill Kai Leng," Shepard growled the last as the elevator doors opened, and Kaidan couldn't help but agree with the assessment as they stepped on.

They leaned against the back wall, waiting for the elevator to move. After a silent moment, Shepard spoke again, "Oh! What's up with Liara and Vega?"