Aftermath

Chapter 4

The FTL ship was hardly larger than a shuttle, with minimal living space for the several days it would take to reach Thessia via FTL and the emergency relays. Despite that, Oriana was practically bubbling with excitement and that made Shepard smile. Not that you could see it behind the Quarian mask.

As she announced their departure to the docking control tower, her own modulated voice sounded alien to her. They rose above Vancouver slowly, giving Shepard her first real view of the planet post-Reaper invasion. Most of the city lay in ruins. Dark scorched and scarred earth covered wide swaths in streaks and patches. She felt like a knife was twisting in her gut when she thought of the amount of lives lost. But when she looked closer she could see signs of activity, re-growth. New structures where old ones once stood. Various ships and shuttles zipped by on their business. Patches of green had started to reclaim the blackness left behind. The earth was going to recover, slowly but it would happen, just as it had with her own body.

She turned her attention to space. It was comforting to feel the thrum of a ships engines around her again, even a ship as small as this. This was how she had grown up, on space stations and ships surrounded by stars, always accompanied by the sounds of engines and muffled com voices.

Now in the safety of space, she removed the Quarian mask and gloves and rubbed her face. "Itches in there," she commented.

Oriana smiled.

Shepard's thoughts turned to Thessia, to Liara. The thought of seeing her in person instead of in dreams made her heart leap to her throat. She'd felt in the days leading to the final attack that they had come to a place together where the uncertainty and hurt and complications of the years prior had finally passed. That the barriers to them being together had finally been surpassed, with the exception of the Reapers. And now it was all broken again. Did Liara believe she was dead? Could their relationship withstand that again? She didn't know. What if she's moved on, a fear voiced itself in her head. A flush of violent heat swept up her body at the thought. Anger, sharp and dangerous flooded her mind... sparked by the fear it could be true and her lack of control in her own destiny. The last time she'd thought Shepard dead, Liara had spiraled into a dark place. How would she be this time?

As much as Liara consumed her thoughts, she knew she had to focus on stopping the threat first, or else the rest wouldn't matter.

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"They will likely have one or more operatives on the ground and a sniper positioned as a backup. They used a similar tactic when they attacked the Galactic Unity event several weeks ago."

Shepard was in her Quarian gear, minus the face mask, arms folded, listening to Miranda's briefing on the Redeemers. Oriana was taking notes and scanning through readouts.

They had landed on Thessia in the dark early hours of the morning. Shepard hadn't been able to sleep, her mind and body poised for action. Besides, closing her eyes only invited the darkness to overwhelm her. She was anxious to get started and it was taking all of her self control not to be reckless.

"What should I look for?" she asked the sisters.

"The Redeemers seem to be purists. They won't use biotics. They are more likely to use operatives to trigger explosions and upon failure of that, take out high priority targets with snipers," Oriana explained.

"Targets like Liara," Shepard said.

"Or you Shepard, should your identity be discovered," Miranda added gravely. "I've given Oriana a scanner to detect any concentrated explosive materials. She will be in contact via your omni-tool feeding you updates. The scanner will be in your suit so you will need to circulate in the crowd to get the readings."

"How close do I have to be to detect the explosives?"

"Within ten meters, approximately."

Shepard nodded.

"No weapons will be allowed in the event area but," Oriana pulled out a case from one of the nearby consoles. "This is a special weapon that should incapacitate any attackers."

Shepard turned the small, cylindrical device in her hands. It concealed nicely in the pocket on her suite. "Should incapacitate?"

"It's been tested on a Krogan and Vorcha and was successful. But it's less effective on someone capable of biotics. So if the Redeemers are using other Asari for the assault..." Miranda explained.

"Then I guess I'll take them down to the old fashioned way." Shepard cracked her knuckles.

Miranda sighed loudly, a hand running through her dark hair in an uncharacteristic show of stress. "Shepard, I wish you would reconsider. These Redeemers are dangerous."

"That's exactly why they have to be stopped. I'm not leaving Liara's safety up to anyone else." Her tone left no room for argument.

Miranda shook her head, "Very well. I'll be monitoring your progress. Good luck Shepard."

Miranda's image de-rezed and Oriana and Shepard were left standing in the ship's com room.

"How are you feeling?" Oriana asked softly.

Shepard turned and pierced her with determined blue eyes, bright with purpose. "Ready." She slid on her Quarian mask, tested the voice modulator and stepped out of the ship onto Thessia.