Lazarus Project: Mass Effect 2 (Shenko)

Chapter 51

Milky Way/Hourglass Nebula/Sowilo System/Hagalaz/Shadow Broker Base

Earth year: 2185 CE --- August

"There's no way for us to dock a shuttle on the Broker's ship." Liara informed Callie as they approached it in the Normandy shuttle. "We'll have to walk on the hull and look for a way inside."

"Great." Callie muttered. "Always wanted to walk on a prototype ship in mag boots in the middle of a violent storm."

"It's not that bad Shepard." Liara retorted. "Just don't look down."

"That assumes we know which way is down." Thane drawled, landing beside Shepard with a soft thud.

Turning toward the front of the ship, they were making steady progress when a pair of drones appeared, blocking their way. "What's with the drones?" Callie called, taking cover.

"They probably think we're debris from the storm." Liara replied, tossing one over the side while Thane dropped the other with a Warp field.

"Great." Callie murmured as they pushed ahead. "How much resistance can we expect out here?"

"Depends how much security the Broker has on the exterior of the ship, but if I had to guess, it's probably a lot."

"Let's make use of the weather then." Callie suggested. "Save our weapons for when we get inside."

"What did you have in mind Shepard?" Thane asked, holstering his sniper rifle and drawing his pistol.

"There's a lot of wind shear above the surface of the ship. If we can take most of them off their feet with biotics, we can increase our odds exponentially."

"Good idea Shepard." Liara agreed. "Let's move."

A short time later, having plowed through every agent the Broker could throw at them, they found Feron. He was strapped into a chair that was sending random bursts of electrical charges coursing through his body.

"Hold on Feron." Liara pleaded, her heart constricting. "We're going to get you out of here."

"I'll try not to go anywhere." Feron joked. "But please, hurry."

In the next room, they all trained their weapons on a hulking figure at the far end of the large room who was completely shrouded in darkness. It was hard to make out the Broker's features, but from what they could see, he was formidable.

"Dr. T'Soni." A deep, gravelly voice intoned. "I'm surprised you made it this far, but now you've reached the end, and you won't be leaving."

"Pretty hard to run an operation this size with all your agents dead." Callie remarked, interrupting him.

"The loss of those agents are insignificant. Nothing more than a hiccup in my operations. Glad you came Shepard, the Collectors' offer still stands. Your being is very convenient. And you brought the assassin, unexpected T'Soni, but no matter, I'll send his son my condolences."

"You're not laying a hand on anyone!" Liara hissed. "Not after what you've done. It ends here."

"Doctor. It was your meddling that caused all this. You think you know so much, fumbling around in the dark while I am privy to your every secret. This is all your doing. Feron betrayed me and he's right where he's going to stay. But don't worry, you'll soon be joining him."

"Is that so?" Liara sneered. "You're a Yahg. A pre space-flight species, quarantined to your home planet for massacring the Council ambassadors who first came to your planet. Which means you probably killed the previous broker 60 years ago and took his place. I'm guessing you were taken from your home planet by a trophy hunter who wanted you as a slave. Or a pet. How am I doing?"

The Shadow Broker snarled, his breath ragged as he rose from his chair. In a burst of fury, he ripped his desk from the floor and tossed it aside as though made ofpaper. Standing over ten feet tall, he brought himself up to his full height, a rapid-fire assault rifle suddenly appearing in his left hand.

Callie, Thane and Liara took an involuntary step back, preparing to get out of the way as they waited for the Broker to make his move. With a snarl he charged, taking out a nearby pillar that took them to the floor in one swoop, knocking Thane unconscious. Back-pedaling away, Callie and Liara fled to the far side of the room, taking cover as the Broker brought up his weapon, filling the air with a staccato burst of weapon fire.

Liara and Callie coordinated their efforts as soon as it became clear that the Broker's armour was deflecting every attack they threw at him. Callie hit at him with as much physical strength she could bring to bear after Liara had disabled his armour for a third time. Standing stunned in the centre of the room, Callie backed away as Liara focused her biotics on the ceiling. Breaking through the barrier, she took the full amount of drive-core energy suspended there and brought it slamming into the Broker, killing him instantly.

Breathing hard, Callie moved to help Thane to his feet while Liara struggled to catch her breath.

Liara stumbled toward the Broker's communications wall where a cacophony of voices filled the air. Crying they'd lost contact, demanding to know what had happened, Liara leaned against the console amid the noise. Giving herself a mental shake, she squared her shoulders, put her finger to the intercom button and spoke into the microphone.

"This is the Shadow Broker." Boomed a deep, gravel-filled voice. "The situation is under control. We experienced a power fluctuation while upgrading hardware. It disrupted our communications momentarily. However, we are now back online. Resume standard procedures. I want a status report on all operations in the next solar day. Shadow Broker out."

The door opened and Feron burst into the room, a pistol leveled at Liara, his face filled with fury. He froze mid-step when he saw her, his arm going limp at his side. "You?" He asked, relaxing his body.

"Well, anyone who's ever seen the Shadow Broker is dead, so..." Liara trailed off as the adrenaline of the last few minutes left her in a rush.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Callie asked, coming to stand before her.

"It's a valuable resource Shepard. With it, I can, I can...." Liara faltered as tears coursed down her cheeks. Breaking into a sob, she bent her head and hid her eyes behind her hands.

Thane joined Feron at the door. "I'll go check on systems." Feron said. Thane fell into step behind him, leaving Callie alone with Liara.

"Liara." Callie said softly, turning her around and gathering her into a hug. "It's okay. It's over now."

"I'm sorry Shepard." Liara sniffed, stepping out of reach. "It's just that I spent the past two years mourning both you and Feron and now I've got you both back."

"It's a lot to take in." Callie agreed.

"Is it wrong that a part of me really wants this?" Liara asked, not expecting an answer. "With this network of information at my fingertips I could start a war. But helping you with the Collectors and the Reapers will give me a purpose. Keep me honest."

"I understand Liara. It's a great resource." Callie conceded. "But I should get back. Let me know if it gets to be too much for you. I'll help you crash the ship."

"Maybe nothing that drastic." Liara frowned. "But I'll keep in touch."

"Glad I could help Liara. Take care of yourself." Callie said having already crossed to the exit, anxious to get back to the Normandy.

"Thank you Shepard." Liara whispered to the now empty room. "For everything."