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Turnabout-	By : Spiritwolf71 Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 7688 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This story takes place within Bioware's Mass Effect Universe, their creative property. I do not own any of Bioware's stories or characters or locations. The Author recieved no money from this story and is writing it purely for entertainment.

Chapter List
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OOC Another chapter that really went in a direction I was not expecting. Was never really going to use Ashley but she kinda forced her way in.

They had allowed Liara into the meeting. After all these years she was still considered part of the team; also known as Shepard’s team. Most of them had moved on to other things. The Normandy was never the same without her. Oh Ashley tried, but she was definitely not Shepard. Cayle had always had an open mind, Ashley not so much. Shepard had embraced Aliens and AI’s alike, Ashley had never shared the same view.
Most of Shepard’s team were gone, the Aliens had all returned home. James was now part of the N7, Jack a teacher, Sam off building another Normandy SR-2, rumoured to be called The Shepard. Edi and Joker were all that remained on the Normandy and neither of them would ever leave. Some of the others were still there, Engineer Adams, Chakwas, they were more loyal to the Normandy itself then the Alliance.
Shepard had told her once that nothing ever stayed the same. Liara had been able to deal with that, she could have faced any change, as long as Shepard had remained with her. Now she found it challenging. She hated the fact that Ashley had the Normandy. She would have much rather seen James get it. He had always had Cayle’s back.
“Do we have any idea of why Cerberus would pick now to show that they are still around?” Admiral Hackett asked looking down to the Dalatrass’ body. “I mean, I can see why she is a target but why now and why such a show of it?”
“Cerberus has been in a political storm since the death of The Illusive man.” Liara reported. “It was particularly hard to follow given the fact that there are several different factions and most do not even know about each other. I would suspect that someone has finally taken charge. I would even guess that this was a message to us. Cerberus is back.”
“With what goals though?” Hackett asked rubbing his forehead. “The Illusive man was bad but at least we knew where he was coming from. The devil you know. We need to get information.” He looked directly at Liara.
“I have everyone working on it Admiral.” She paused and looked to Ashley who had been standing silently in the back of the room. “I have heard rumours that an Eclipse base had been attacked on Therum in the Artemus Tau system.” She looked at nothing in particular; Therum was where she had first met Shepard. “My sources say it was probably Cerberus.”
“I personally do not find a Cerberus, Eclipse war a problem; I’d be fine if they killed each other.” Ashley said. She was also always so much more blunt then Shepard.
“I agree.” Liara said, “But I’m thinking that the Eclipse must have had something Cerberus wanted. Whatever was in that base was being guarded. My sources said that a team of Asari scientist had been brought in and that they were not allowed to have any contact with the Eclipse troops. Only the highest ranking Eclipse officers were even allowed near the inside of the base.”
“Well that’s something.” Hackett agreed. He crossed his arms over his chest and lifted a hand to rub the stubble that was starting to form over his chin. “Williams, I think you should take the Normandy and look into this.” He said. Liara looked to the woman.
“Aye sir.” She said sharply. She was a soldier and obeying orders was her specialty. The problem was Ashley had what Shepard called a box, and Ashley had no idea of how to think outside of it. Not that Ashley was a bad officer or Spectre, she was just an Alliance soldier and to her, the Alliance would always come first. Liara had never believed she was Spectre material. Shepard had thought it would round Ashley off into a good officer. It had not worked thus far. Liara doubted it ever would.
“Liara,” Hackett turned to her and her eyes widened.
“Yes sir?” She held her breath, expecting him to ask her to go.
“Tell me about this woman you and Garrus ran into.”
She let out the breath. “Well, that was a hell of a shot she took, according to Garrus anyway. From what I understand, very few people can do that, Geth excluded. Garrus and Ashley,” She paused adding Shepard to that list in her head. “Garrus said one other Turrian that he knew of, but he was injured badly in the war. She rubbed her own temple.
“She was quick and strong.” Liara continued. “And I think had she wanted Garrus and I dead we would have been. She had the drop on us.”
“I wonder if she was enhanced like Kai Leng.” Ashley asked. Unlike Liara, Ashley had never faced Kai Leng.
“I don’t think so, I mean the Nemeses were all so enhanced but they did not retain much of their own features. Partially husk like, like the troops.” Liara explained. “This woman was human.”
“I wonder if she was trained by Cerberus or us.” Hackett voiced. “I will have to look into who we have that can make a shot like that.”
It was quiet for a long moment as all three of them stared at the body. Liara could not get the Cerberus woman out of her head. It was an image permanently engrained in there now. The woman could have killed them and no one would have known who she was, but she had waited. She had allowed Liara to get her barrier up before shooting at them. She was more than aware she should be dead.
“Liara?” Liara shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Ashley had obviously asked her something that she had missed completely.
“Sorry, I was just thinking.”
“We still have room on the Normandy if you want to come as well and find out what is going on.” Ashley said and looked to Hackett. Obviously the invitation was his idea. She needed to go; she needed to know who this woman was and what Cerberus was up to. She just didn’t want to go on the Normandy with Shepard being gone. She did not want to see the memorial wall with Shepard’s name on it.
“It would take a while to set myself up on the Normandy again. I have a ship that is ready to go. It just doesn’t have a stealth drive and its weapons are kind of basic.” She said. Hackett and Williams exchanged looks.
“Well we could meet you there.” Ashley said and smiled thinly. Liara’s brush off obviously bothered her. Liara paused for a second; Shepard had forgiven the Alliance Officer and welcomed her back with open arms. Liara could not figure out why she had never been able to do the same.
No, she knew why. She was not Shepard; no one was, nor would they ever be. One of a kind was a term that was made because of people like her. She was a leader of people; anyone Shepard ever touched would follow her into hell. Anyone, except for Ashley Williams who had once declared her a traitor.

“Sounds like a plan. I will meet you there.” Liara said tersely letting her anger get the better of her. She moved to the door and then stopped. She told herself she should apologize and she looked back for a second. “It will be interesting to work together again.” She said instead before leaving.

Shepard had always known exactly what Liara liked. It was like magic, every touch, every caress; it sent magical surges through her body. She had remembered her mother once explaining that sex was a need for other races. That Asari reproduction was not about sex. Benezia was correct sex had nothing to do with reproduction but it was certainly not just a need for other races. It was a form of showing each other just how much you loved each other and it was an act of giving and an act of love and Liara embraced it.
She could feel Shepard touching her, her breath on the back of her neck as she pressed herself against her. Liara was always amazed at how gentle the warrior could be, gentle but intense. Liara never needed a meld to know how much Shepard loved her, it was in every breath, every touch of her fingers, every kiss. It was sometimes overwhelming to the point where Liara could not even control herself. When they melded during this process Liara truly felt a part of her lover.
Liara counted on her dreams to sometimes bring Shepard back to her. Like now, moaning softly at the soft little bites at the back of her neck, Shepard’s hands moving to all the right places. Liara could barely contain herself. She smiled, knowing she was dreaming, and welcoming it.
“Embrace eternity.” She moaned softly against the pillow, melding with the woman behind her, however she stopped instantly as she realized something was not right. She pulled away quickly and turned. The Cerberus woman smiled back to her. Liara could not help but think how she was strikingly similar to Shepard she was.
“I guess I’m not the eternity you expected.” The woman said in Shepard voice. She grabbed Liara and pinned her down. “Embrace me anyway.” She demanded.
Liara jerked herself awake, jumping out of her bed and pressing her back against the wall. Her room was dark with save for the light from the stars allowing her eyes to adjust enough to see outlines. She was alone. Her heart raced and beat loudly as she closed her eyes and tried to push the dream out of her thoughts.
She found herself becoming angry that this unknown woman had invaded a place that was only meant for one person.
She stretched and moved over to one of the many consoles in her room. Each was full of information that she would move slowly through. She had created a program that sorted most of the information out based on key words and right now Cerberus was her main concern. However; as she sat down another area of concern popped up on her.
Kai Leng.
Kai Leng had somehow disappeared from Cronos base before the Alliance had managed to completely secure it. In their defence they had other concerns, like the Citadel and Earth and the Reapers. When the Alliance returned, led by Miranda, Kai Leng was simply gone. As was the Nemeses army Kai Leng liked to align himself with. Liara had though he was dead after the blow that Shepard had given him. Any normal person would have been, but then, Kai Leng was not normal.
She brought it up on her screen and read over the news. Javik had been trying to locate him with little to no results. He had found many bodies left with the assassin signature attached to them but never a lead to where the man himself was. Javik was trying his hardest, but he was hardly the most inconspicuous person in the universe. He was after all the only Prothean left and everyone knew who he was. Most figured he was helping the Alliance, few knew who he was truly working for.
Because of this Liara had been forced to find someone else to shadow Javik, get the information he could not because of who he was. She had wanted to hire Jacob Taylor, because she truly trusted him, but he was settled down now with a lovely wife and two children. She did not want to put him in danger. Instead she turned to man named Mouse, who came highly recommended by Shepard’s friend Commander Bailey. He worked with Thane Krios son, Koylat and they were two of her better agents.
The message came from Mouse. He had heard rumours of Kai Leng leaving Cerberus and striking out as a free agent. Liara could not help but be surprised; he had been pretty loyal to Cerberus. She could not help but think that Cerberus had probably terminated the relationship. They were going to try and set up a trap for him. She thought about this for a long time. Koylat and Mouse were good at getting information but they were not really a match for the seasoned assassin. Javik however…
She would need to get them working together after this trip to Therum.
Her eyes rested on the picture of Cayle she had on her desk. It sat between Shepard’s helmet from the first Normandy crash and her dog tags. Liara’s own, personal little Shepard memorial, or it would be if she believes Shepard was dead.
She had met Shepard on Therum. The stalwart Alliance officer had rescued her from a trap Liara had accidentally sprung on herself. Well, not a trap really, it was supposed to protect her from the Geth troops her mother had sent after her. It had done so, but she had managed to get herself stuck in stasis.
She would never forget the slight smile Shepard had on her face when she had explained that to her that day. Liara had not found it nearly as amusing as the Spectre.
She remembered what a presence Shepard was the first time she had laid eyes on her, so confident and sure of herself, yet understanding and kind at the same time. Liara often thought she had fallen in love with her then. Then they mind melded for the first time and although she mainly searched for the Prothean data she had touched a part of Shepard. Nothing she could, even now, put a finger on, but it was strong and powerful and alluring all at the same time. She had been addicted immediately.
She shook her head and sent a message back to Koylat telling him to hold off for now and that she would get back to him soon.
=^=Liara we are at Therum, the Alliance has not yet arrived. =^= came Falere’s voice.
“Thank you.” Liara responded and looked out the view port to the planet below. She wasn’t really sure she was ready to go down to the planet’s surface. She moved out of her room through a room covered in monitors. She paused at a group of them and scanned for any signals. There were several and she focused in on the Eclipse base, nothing but static came from them. Someone had made sure to eliminate their trail. Sort of like the building the blonde woman had been on. Someone had tampered with the camera’s there, feeding them the footage from the day prior.
The blonde woman was certainly efficient.
She walked to the bridge of the ship, her hand clenching and unclenching, she disliked this woman who was starting to invade her life of several levels.
“I have scanned the Eclipse base and I am not getting any reading from it at all.” Falere reported. Liara could not help but go over her readings then concur. She was about to send a report to Williams when the Normandy came out of FTL beside them. Liara could only stare at its hull; it was truly an impressive sight. She felt tears sting her eyes as a flood of memory and pain hit her all at once. Falere took her hand and squeezed it. Liara smiled sadly back.

“Send the Normandy your readings and tell them I will meet them on the planet.” She turned back and headed to her room to don the armour she had not worn in five years.

Liara had made several adjustments to her armour while she was putting it on. She had been worried that it would not fit her but instead found it slightly too big. As Falere helped her adjust the straps she gave her a stern lecture about her poor eating habits. Liara would have stopped her if she didn’t deserve it. In her own defence, she never thought she would be putting it on again.
When they were done she stopped long enough to look in the mirror. She smiled slightly thinking of the many adventures she had in this armour. She had gone everywhere with Shepard. She thought of the Eden Prime and Ilium and oh so many other places. As she looked in the mirror she envisioned Shepard standing behind her, pushing some imaginary dust off her shoulder.
“You still look good in it Blue.” Cayle said with her mischievous smile, using her pet name.
“Yeah, like a little girl in her mother’s armour. I have lost weight.” She considered for only a second, of how wrong it was to talk to an imaginary Shepard, but she didn’t really care.
“Yeah, you really need to start taking better care of yourself.” Shepard said. “If I am alive, I don’t want to come home to a sick girl.”
Liara smiled to herself and moved to her weapons locker and picked out her gun. She eyed Shepard’s black widow and scorpion. The Scorpion had not been the most practical weapon but Shepard seemed to have a soft spot for it. That or, as she would say, she liked the explosions. Shepard never really got close enough in a fight anyway. She preferred to shoot from a distance.
Like the blonde Cerberus assassin.
Liara shook her head and moved to the back of the ship. Unlike the Normandy her ship could land, but in this case it would get her close enough to drop. She stood as the cargo bay doors opened and spotted the Alliance shuttle touching down. She jumped out of the cargo bay and landed on the ground. She made her way over to Ashley and her team.
“Hello Liara, it has been a long time.” Came EDI’s voice in her head set. Again Liara was filled with emotion. EDI might have been an AI but she had ‘grown’ up under Shepard’s tutelage. She shook it off with Ashley looking at her.
“Hello EDI and I imagine Jeff is with you as well.”
“Never too far away.” Came Jokers voice. Liara had never called him by his nickname though. Jeff had been the one person that had followed Shepard everywhere. He had prided himself on always being able to fly her away from harm. When he had not been able to save her from the Citadel Jeff had been devastated, then EDI had gone off line and for a little while Liara had not been sure Jeff was going to be able to bounce back. It wasn’t until Tali restarted the AI that Joker had returned to his former self. Even then the memory left its own huge scar.
Liara smiled and looked to Ashley. “I am ready.” She said a turned back to the entrance of the Eclipse base. I looked a lot like the Prothean archives on Mars, with the entrance going into the side of a Mountain then several smaller building down in a bit of a steep crater.
The Alliance troops entered first, led by Ashley. It was strange for Liara to be at the back of the group. She had always been up front with Shepard. She had more experience than most of the young soldier that were in front of her. It was Ashley though, and she was never a big supporter of Aliens.
As they moved into the base Liara noted the weapon scaring and blood on the ground. Some of the bodies had been moved. Cerberus was not one to really care about their dead.
They moved in further and the carnage started. It had been a vicious fight, both parties were powerhouses. She stopped as the military team moved on. She removed the helmet of one of the Cerberus soldiers. He was human, not the half husk zombies the Illusive man had created.
“These are normal soldiers.” Liara reported.
“Maybe whoever is now running Cerberus doesn’t believe in the same things as the Illusive man.” Ashley said as they moved along. It became obvious that they were not going to find any survivors.
“Well, the Illusive Man was Cerberus. We always thought that Cerberus would fall with his death, but that was obviously incorrect. Maybe we did not know as much about the organization as we thought we did. Maybe the Illusive man was just one part of it.”
“I don’t know the man had a lot of power. He was making armies. He was the man behind all the experiments we shut down on the first Normandy.” Ashley said checking a second Cerberus soldier.
“He was making mindless zombies. I don’t imagine everyone in Cerberus, or their investors would be happy with that. Maybe it’s an off shoot of Cerberus.” Liara surmised.
Ashley stopped as they finally reached the laboratories. They had been completely trashed. Liara grunted in disapproval.
“So you mean maybe we are dealing with good racist scum?” Ashley replied with a smile. Liara could not help but smile back, especially when Ashley was partially racist herself.
“Yeah, something like that.” Liara moved into what seemed to be the main office and turned on one of the computers. It crackled and made a loud protest but flashed an image of a large empty room.
“I wonder what was in that.” Ashley asked over her shoulder.
“It appears empty now.” Liara stated the obvious. “What could the Eclipse have that Cerberus wanted?”
“I would like to say Reaper Tech, but that’s not hard to come by anymore.” Ashley said and motioned for her men to go and check it out. Liara continued to work on the computer. All paths to the main drive were destroyed.
“We are going to have to find the central computer core and see if we can get information from it. This computer is destroyed and I cannot access it.”
“Secure this room.” Ashley ordered her officers and she and Liara moved on. For the first minute it was silent. There were several moments when it seemed as though Ashley wanted to say something but did not. Liara was happy with that; she did not want a heart to heart with the Officer.
The found the big room that had been shown on the monitor. What the monitor failed to show was the just how big the room was. It was almost the size of a station.
“Wow.” Liara stated and looked up. There was a large port on the ceiling. Whatever had been in here came and went by the port. “That kind of worries me.”
“There must have been something huge in here.” Ashley concurred.
“Maybe they had a reaper.”
“We could only hope it’s something that simple.” Ashley moved back into the hallway. Liara followed and they continued until they found the computer core room.
“Goddess.” Liara stated at the black and charred room. Someone had set off explosives. “This could be problematic.” She began to dig about the destroyed room in hoped that something was still intact.
“No one said Cerberus was not thorough.” Ashley said and helped Liara.
They dug for about a half hour when Liara suddenly smiled and pulled out a small box. She carefully opened it. “They missed one.” She said triumphantly.
“Thank god.” Ashley said and moved over to where the Asari was kneeling. Her white and grey armour was nearly black with soot. “Can you get anything off of it?”
“I would have to take it back to my ship and analyse it.” Liara stood. Ashley was looking at her. “I have the means to figure out what is on this. I can crack it and send all the information to you.”
“This is an Alliance operation.” Ashley stated.
“Yes, and they have asked for my help and if you want my help this data will come back to my ship and when I am finished cracking it I will send the Alliance a full report.”
“If the information goes to your ship, then I go to your ship.” Ashley crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. Liara looked at her for a long time.
“Then you might want to go and get into something comfortable because this might take me a long time.” Liara crossed her own arms over her chest as the two women faced off.
“Fine.” Ashley said and turned and made her way out of the room.
“Fine.” Liara would not let Ashley out do her. She watched the woman leave before she headed out herself.
“Well that was pretty mature.” Shepard’s voice echoed humorously in her head.
“I’m not in a mature mood.” Liara said shutting the voice out and making her way back to the ship, the core segment firmly in her hands.
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