Whole, Part 2 (a Mass Effect fanfiction)

The Best Hope for This Cycle

Outside the cockpit, Shepard found Tali and Garrus standing close to one another, speaking in low, intense voices. She'd occasionally had her suspicions about their relationship, but in this case, whatever the trouble was seemed less personal than that, so she took the chance and approached them.

"Shepard," Tali said with concern, "you should go talk to Liara. I've never seen her like this—not even after Noveria. I told Garrus he should talk to her. You've known her as long as any of us," she told him, "and with Palaven ..."

He shook his head. "I'm just another damned reminder of how many people are dying. You should talk to her."

"I just regained my homeworld; she just lost hers," Tali objected.

Shepard sighed, recognizing where this conversation was inevitably going. "Where is she?"

"Last I saw, she was on the engineering floor ... heading for Javik's quarters."

"Well, that can't be good." Shepard punched the button for the elevator. "I'll talk to her."

When the elevator doors opened on the engineering floor, she could hear Liara all the way from the end of the corridor. She'd never known her friend to lose control quite this badly. She ran down the hall, blessing EDI when the door to Javik's quarters slid open for her. The AI could be a little creepy, but she was always there when she was needed.

"That can't be true!" Liara was shouting as Shepard entered the room.

"You saw it with your own eyes," Javik countered. Neither he nor Liara turned to look at Shepard.

"The goddess Athame was Prothean." Liara made it a challenge, waiting for Javik to deny it.

"You wanted to know about your history, asari," Javik said dismissively. "Now you do."

Shepard could feel the air shift in the cabin as the blue glow of activated biotics surrounded Liara. Stepping up to Javik, Liara spat her words out. "I have a name. It is Liara T'Soni. And I'd appreciate you using it from now on!"

Javik didn't back away, holding Liara's gaze with an intensity that had Shepard somewhat concerned. She hurried across the room and stepped in between them. "Hey, settle down." She nudged Liara gently back with one hand.

To her relief, Liara went, the biotics beginning to quiet. "My home was just destroyed and all he can do is gloat."

"Javik? Given what's happened today, do you think you might owe Liara an apology?"

He crossed his arms defiantly. "Apologize for the truth?"

"For not doing more!" Liara cried. "You're a Prothean! You were supposed to have all the answers! How could you not stop this from happening?"

Shepard felt badly that she hadn't foreseen something like this. Liara had placed so much faith in the Protheans as the keepers of all knowledge. She started to speak, but stopped when Javik's quiet voice responded.

"We believed you would."

That shocked Liara. She stared at Javik, her mouth open.

He continued, "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."

"Well, it didn't work," Liara muttered.

"You're still alive, aren't you? Your world may have fallen, but as long as even one asari is left standing, the fight isn't over."

Liara's eyes filled with tears. "I guess that goes for Protheans, too."

"Despair is the enemy's greatest weapon," Javik told her, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Do not let them wield it ... Liara T'Soni."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Liara's mouth. She laid her hand briefly on Shepard's arm and turned and left the room.

Alone with Javik, Shepard said, "That was ... unexpected. Thank you."

"We still need her talents. If grief overcomes her, she will be lost to us."

Well, that sounded more like the Prothean they'd all come to know. Still, Shepard was curious. "So did you actually mean what you said?"

"Does it matter?"

"Liara's been a good friend to me. It matters."

Javik nodded, accepting that answer. "Then I will tell you what you want to hear: I meant what I said."

Which was basically no answer at all, Shepard reflected as she followed Liara out of the room. Still, it was more comforting than to imagine he had lied just to manipulate Liara's emotions, so she'd take it.

Kaidan was just leaving the engine room as Shepard approached. He stopped, smiling at her, and reached out his arms. She accepted a brief embrace, but was afraid she'd collapse entirely if she leaned on him too much. As they waited for the elevator, he asked, "How is Liara?"

"I'd say her world's been completely rocked."

"Engineer Adams and I were just remembering Noveria, and the terrible way her mother died. Liara seemed so together afterward. That couldn't have been easy."

They stepped onto the elevator. Shepard leaned against the wall with a sigh. "She handled it well, but you could tell it was tough on her," she agreed.

"For weeks afterward, she told me stories about her mother. You think maybe if I ask for some stories about Thessia? Share some about Earth?"

"Maybe," Shepard said. "But I think maybe she's too mad for stories right now."

"Speaking of that." Kaidan reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, the warmth and strength of it reassuring her. "Don't worry about Kai Leng. Now that we've seen his dirty moves, next time he's getting his ass kicked."

She smiled. "Thanks."

But she didn't believe it. And she believed it even less ten minutes later, standing in front of her personal terminal, looking at an encrypted email ostensibly from Asari Military Command, but actually from Kai Leng himself.

Never forget that your best wasn't good enough to stop me. Now an entire planet is dying because you lacked the strength to win. The legend of Shepard needs to be re-written. I hope I'm there for the last chapter. It ends in your death.

The threat didn't impress her—but the reminder that she had now lost Thessia, as well as Thane, to this man, enraged her all over again. It was all Shepard could do not to throw the terminal through the glass of the aquarium.

"Amonkira, Lord of Hunters—give me the strength and cunning to beat this man. Take me in the process if you must, but let me take him. Please."