Chapter 50: Guarded
Disclaimer: This author in no way profits from the writing of this story. All characters, dialogue, or other referenced material from the Mass Effect trilogy belong to BioWare.
Author's Note: This story does not necessarily follow any particular timeline and may not be considered chronologically accurate.
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Cassana fled.
Although he was inherently faster and stronger than the human, Vadix was so surprised that he just stood there, only turning to watch as she passed him. She was rushing for the door, nearly slamming into it, getting there before it had even opened because she was moving so quickly.
Despite his social ineptitude—he would be the first to admit it—he recognized that she probably wanted to be left alone.
So, the turian spent the rest of the evening in the deserted training room, though he did relatively little training himself.
Cassana did not return.
When he retired for the evening, she still had not reappeared, not even in the crew's quarters.
When he awoke, her bed was noticeably empty. It didn't look like she'd even slept in it.
He would have worried had they not been somewhere in the middle of deep space aboard a vessel that had a rather intelligent AI who (surely) would not let any of her passengers depart to what had to be certain death.
Alright, so maybe he still worried a little bit.
This time, though, he didn't try to excuse his apprehension as mere professional concern: he was done lying to himself.
Feeling rather lifeless and listless, the turian prepared for the day without concentrating. Vadix arrived at the mess hall with his shirt inside out—and it didn't even match his pants.
Perhaps he was more than a little worried.
After forcing the tasteless food down his gullet and rectifying the wardrobe issue, he trudged back to the training room. The man contemplated the conversation over and over, wondering if he should have just kept his damn mouth shut. Maybe that was why Cassana was avoiding him.
Maybe she'd sought refuge with Vega, he sneered at himself. That would serve him right. The marine probably hadn't lied to her, broken her trust, and ruined any possibility of happiness ever again.
Shaking his head vigorously, Vadix rubbed his neck with concern for himself this time. He was becoming melodramatic: not good.
Then he stepped back into the small range and stopped just inside the door frame.
Not only was the redhead present, but she seemed to be waiting for him.
Cassana was smiling.
He nearly took a step backward, all his fears from yesterday flooding his stalled brain.
This uncharted territory nonsense was going to be the death of him.
"I think we need to get you some more practice."
It felt like his mandibles had fallen from his face, limp as they were. Vadix had no response.
But the woman must have seen his confusion—no surprise, he thought. She reads me better than a salarian reads a book.
"You know, recognizing body language and facial expressions?"
Again she gave him an opportunity to respond. Which he did not utilize.
"I just realized we've spent so much time sparring and shooting to help me catch up that your assignment seems to have fallen by the wayside. Figured we ought to change that." Cassana paused again, for a shorter time. "Wouldn't want to disappoint the Commander."
She shrugged once, never once referencing the previous day's conversation—and conflict—neither in word nor in expression.
She didn't want to talk about it.
The realization sat heavily over him, settling like a fog so dense it left a film of dew over his skin.
Well, he thought. That's that.
And they moved past the filslon in the room, giving the jade animal a wide berth, ears swishing and dual tusks swaying between acquiescence and outrage.
Acquiescence won.
Had he known any better, or understood the human psyche, perhaps Vadix would have broached the topic. But, as it was, he was still too scared to find out how she felt about it, about him. He thought his feelings had been made abundantly clear and, if she refused to acknowledge them, that must mean she was not interested in further discussion.
At least she was treating him with professional disinterest, not making the situation any more fraught than it was.
So the turian simply accepted what had happened—and what had not happened—and tried to return to some semblance of normalcy.
Two days passed like this. Vadix thought he was rather successfully acting like himself, without great difference from his prior behavior.
The crew thought, rather vehemently, on the contrary. Both young recruits were suddenly treating each other and everyone else with an obscene amount of stilted deference, treading carefully in every sentence and interaction.
Because of this sudden shift, the fandom decided something had to be done.
Fortunately, after a civilized debate and subsequent vote in secret, this assignment fell to the asari scientist and low-key intelligence director. This decision led to a conversation with Shepard in which the human knew her friend was hiding something, but also knew better than to pry. This conversation led to rearranging the training schedule so that the now-awkward duo's biotics defense lesson would be sooner rather than later. This timetable led to Liara standing at the end of the gun range looking at the pair, analyzing them.
"Good morning," she began. "My name is Dr. Liara T'Soni but please just call me Liara. I'm here to discuss the use of biotics in warfare, so you can be better prepared to defend yourselves against such attacks."
Vadix and Cass both nodded, standing firmly at attention.
It was almost uncomfortable to watch.
"Well then. I'll begin with the basics. Biotics is the ability to create mass effect fields by using element zero nodules which are embedded in body tissues. Not all lifeforms have access to this power, and even fewer actually possess the ability to do so. The users have implants called bio-amps which enable the person both to access and to augment these powers, allowing the individual to lift enemies into the air, knock them over from a distance, create protective barriers, or even to generate gravitational vortices which tear obstacles and enemies apart."
Now the pair seemed to blanch, and the asari hurried to reassure them.
"For this reason, Commander Shepard felt it was important for both of you to understand the potential threat and therefore be able to defend yourselves as best you can. Working together, trusting each other, will be one of your greatest assets in any battle, and this is particularly true when dealing with a biotic opponent."
The way they looked at each other was somehow familiar to Liara, but she couldn't quite place it.
She may have been an archeologist and not an anthropologist, but she still intended to dig up the truth of what was really going on between and within each of them. It wouldn't be the first challenge she had faced and overcome, and she would relish the victory of uncovering details here just as much as any excavation site.
Besides, collecting information was kind of her thing now. This would be no exception.
"Eventually you'll be outfitted with armor and shields that will help protect you from some biotic attacks, but that alone won't be enough. You'll need to learn to recognize the signs of biotic users so that you can evade and defend yourselves if need be."
There was something intimate about the way Cass and Vadix interacted. It was less visible in direct exchanges though, and it took some time before Liara realized what was so recognizable about it all.
When she did, she grinned.
"Before we begin any practical exercises, you should understand that any biotic ability can only be activated by using a technique called 'physical mnemonics'. The biotic will utilize a physical gesture which results in their neurons firing in a certain sequence, sending an electrical charge through their element zero nodules, and creating the desired effect. If you can remember the most common mnemonics, then you'll likely be able to recognize the incoming attack before your enemy can carry it out."
Without a table and chairs to work on, the trio settled onto the training mats as Liara explained the different biotic abilities they might encounter along with the most common cue for each. It was a lengthy process given the number of skills to cover but they made good progress throughout the morning, then they broke for the midday meal.
During the lesson, Liara scrutinized the pair's nonverbal communication. Again, this wasn't her area of expertise, but she recognized the subtle shifting of body weight made by one just after the other moved. Or the way the woman's hips always seemed to be directed at her partner, and his shoulders to her.
According to EDI, the turian had effectively born his heart to Cass—sadly, the AI refused to let the crew hear the recording—and she hadn't even given him a response.
Liara's initial reaction was that her first impression of the human had been way off. The redhead had always seemed very kind and considerate, placing the needs of others above her own. But to treat another person like that? It was unacceptable.
The least she could do would be to tell him how she felt, even if that meant disappointing him.
But watching them now, trying to keep an open mind without bias or judgment, the scientist wondered if the opposite was true. She didn't have hard facts, but Liara was beginning to hypothesize that the other woman had very similar feelings to the turian but was simply unwilling to acknowledge them.
Which begged the question: why?
As the Shadow Broker, she had access to the equivalent of hundreds of terabytes of data, yet she could locate only a tiny fraction of information relevant to the Commander's unexpected twin. Liara knew that the young woman's mother had been abducted by batarian slavers when Cass was only a child, and she had been on her own ever since. There were also several hospital records which listed the name Cassana Arvius from approximately a year later and always attended by the same physician, which may indicate some prolonged or perpetual illness or injury. Cass had been employed at several bars, even as a teenager, but the trend indicated she was a hard worker and excelled at the job. Beyond regular pay stubs and utility bills, nothing more recent could be linked to the human.
There had to be more to the story.
After lunch, they resumed the lecture, continuing the discussion of pull, shockwave, throw, warp, barrier, charge, lash, reave, singularity, and stasis. It was a lot to throw at them, but one aspect of this "experiment" was how well they handled pressure and stimuli.
The next step was to put their new knowledge into practice, literally.
"Alright, stand up," Liara commanded the recruits, each looking at her like she was spitting fire. "Follow me," she gestured and moved back to the gun range. Picking up a small firearm, she turned to face Vadix and Cass. "This is a dart gun. Your goal is to hit me with it before I can pick you off."
"What?" This was the most energetic response Cass has produced all day, having been much more reserved, almost tranquil during the entire lesson. "You're going to attack us?"
The asari shrugged, setting the gun down once more. "Well, yes. What better way to prepare you for real life than to have a mock battle? Granted, we won't have much cover to utilize, but you never know what kind of setting you'll be in." She looked at each individually, measuring them with her gaze. "Protect each other, as if your life depends upon it. Because someday, it just might."
Then she turned and walked across the floor.
Cass looked at Vadix, Vadix looked at Cass, then they each grabbed a firearm and took up positions behind the firing range tables.
Peeking around the edge, Cass watched the asari, gauging her movements.
"Shit," she murmured without thinking.
From the other side of the range came Vadix's voice. "What? What's wrong?"
"She just threw up a barrier," Cass grumbled. "We'll have to move in order to hit her." Looking around the room, however, they didn't have a lot of options for cover.
The woman felt his eyes on her before she turned to see him. "Here's what we'll do," Vadix began, voice low. "We'll both move out at the same time, away from each other and toward her. She'll only be able to attack one of us at a time, so the other person will have to hit her while she's 'distracted', if you will."
Cass felt her eyes widen. "What? If one of us misses then we're fucked, no second chances."
The turian simply shrugged, eyes bright above a half-smile. "Then don't miss," he goaded her.
Her eyebrows pulled down into a scowl, but her lips fought to grin back at him. "Your funeral," she teased, mouth winning out, earning her a full-fledged smile in return.
It almost felt normal again.
Except, somehow, it was better.
"On my count," Vadix breathed, his eyes flicking over his shoulder. They both leaned back against the weapons tables, waiting for the countdown to end.
When it did, they slipped out in unison, searching for their would-be enemy.
In the next moment, Cass could see Liara's arms turning, her movements deliberate. Two heartbeats before she completed the motion, the human recognized what was about to happen.
The asari wasn't looking at Cass.
Putting as much energy into her legs as possible, the redhead forced herself to run faster. She just needed to be far enough out to get a shot in behind the barrier that shielded Liara. It wouldn't be long before she lifted the turian skyward.
Then she passed the invisible threshold and, skidding to a stop, took up her firing position. With legs spaced shoulder width apart, gripping the gun with both hands, using both eyes to look through the sights, Cass took aim at the scientist.
But she was too late.
The unmistakable sound of biotics filled her ears, engulfing her body, stopping her heart. It meant Vadix was in danger.
But she couldn't look away.
If she looked away, they'd both lose.
Cass fired.
Keeping her eyes trained on Liara just long enough to watch the dart find home in her blue skin, Cass turned around, gaze quickly alighting on her partner.
Who was suspended in the air.
Part of her wanted to laugh (hysterically, mind you), but the other part wanted to drag his ass to the infirmary to ensure that nothing was wrong.
The only problem was, she had no idea how to get him back down on the ground.
Looking back at the asari again, Liara was smiling widely as she calmly walked back toward her students, one arm hanging limply at her side. She was looking at her omni-tool on the other one. "Well done," she announced. "That took less than a minute, pretty close to 30 seconds actually. Not bad. Not bad at all." Finally she looked up and startled slightly upon noticing the fire raging in the human's eyes.
Her smile softened as she reassured Cass. "It'll wear off in a couple minutes or so. Help me drag one of the mats under him for when he falls."
Before she could start moving again, the redhead stopped her. "What do you mean, 'when' he falls? Can't you get him down?"
Liara shrugged, the hint of a grin still tugging at her mouth. "Unfortunately, no. We just have to wait for the effect to wear off."
"But he'll come crashing down! What if he's injured?" Cass was seething.
"Cassana, I'll be fine," Vadix complained from above them.
Nudging her head in the direction of the wrestling mats and ignoring the turian, the other woman replied, "That's why I was going to get some cushioning first."
For one brief moment, Cass thought she might strangle the alien. Then she huffed and trudged away from her, yanking the mat with more force than was strictly necessary.
Liara said nothing, only smiling to herself, as she pulled another mat back to the firing range.
It looked like her hypothesis was correct.
Now she needed to get the human to realize her own feelings reflected the ones borne to her only two days prior.
She didn't like it, but the scientist knew she might have to play dirty.
"You know it's just a training exercise, right? Vadix isn't actually in any danger," Liara stated with less sympathy than she would normally have used.
The human woman bristled visibly. "Try telling me that again when he isn't about to drop from several meters above the ground, at risk of breaking a limb or two." Her voice was like liquid nitrogen.
"Mmhm," the asari hummed for a moment, thinking about her next tactic. Oddly, she noted, the human's partner made no comment. Then Liara settled on, "I just don't understand why you're so protective of him. It's not like you care about him beyond professional aspirations."
Internally she winced at her callous words, noting from the corner of her eye that Vadix outwardly flinched.
Then Cass swiveled to stare at her, and Liara wondered humorously if she might spontaneously combust through sheer force of will.
"I care," the redhead hissed before whipping around once more.
Observing her settle the padding in the proper area, Liara wondered how much farther she ought to push Cass. It would not do to shove a wedge between her feelings and her mind, but the two needed to be connected.
The human stared at her feet, arms folded tightly across her chest, her fingers digging into her own flesh.
But she wasn't looking at Vadix, who was looking intently at her.
That decided it.
"Why?"
With no less intensity yet twelve times slower, Cass turned once more, her eyes lasering into Liara's. "Why, what?" The short sentence seemed to hang between them, suspended like an active torpedo.
The scientist pushed once more, for the sake of experiment. "Why do you care about him?"
Cass's eyes narrowed even more, her blood thumping beneath her skin like the pulse of a nightclub. She wanted to lose herself in the rhythm, forgetting about emotion and attachment and loss and despair.
But then her gaze flicked upward and, upon seeing the best friend she had found in years, that deadly beat descended into the steady drumming of the future.
Words slipped out before they'd really processed in her brain, carried on the breeze of a whisper. "Because he matters."
The smile that split Liara's lips now was soft and sincere, believing she had accomplished her mission here today. "The looming end of the universe has a way of making you realize what really matters, doesn't it?" she asked, almost sad.
Cass was still staring at the strangely mute turian floating in the air, now facing away from them as his body slowly rotated, though the asari suspected he'd join them on the floor very soon. But the human's next words caught her by surprise. "You say that like it's a guaranteed thing, like it's a finite deadline."
Standing up straighter, she could only gape at Cass. When they finally made eye contact, the redhead could only look back apprehensively.
"You don't know," Liara breathed.
The woman moved closer, as though she was worried the asari might pass out. "What are you talking about?"
But she couldn't answer. "How do you not know?" She looked at Cass, unseeing.
They didn't know about the highly advanced synthetic-organics whose sole purpose was to harvest all sentient life every fifty thousand years in an endless purging cycle that had already lasted countless millennia—after all, they were still just a myth on the Citadel, a hushed-up legend that made no difference to the bureaucrats and carefree denizens of the galaxy's capital.
Of course they didn't know. How could they?
All romantic relational interference aside, this glaring gap had to be rectified immediately.
Just before the turian came crashing back down from his temporary suspension, Liara's eyes focused once more, clear as the night sky that always waited just out of reach. "The Reapers are coming."
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This is the last chapter I already have written and my regular workload is looking pretty hefty for the next few weeks so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to post in the foreseeable future. There are ten chapters left in this second part of three total, which I already have outlined, just not typed. Once I'm able to finish those, I anticipate another 30 chapters (for the sake of consistency) in part three, describing the mission/reason Cass and Vadix were hired in the first place-and hopefully some romance resolution as well!
If you have any feedback, comments, questions, requests, etc. please feel free to comment or direct message me, as the last segment of this unexpected saga (I had no idea it would turn into this monster when I started) is essentially a blank slate at this point: a prospect both terrifying and exciting! If things work out the way I hope, I anticipate beginning to post part three sometime in the beginning of 2022, potentially under a separate work. TBD.
Thank you to everyone who has read and commented so far; I can honestly say that I would have stopped writing this AU a long time ago without your support!