Chapter Text
She ran as fast as she could, through seemingly countless corridors, each seemingly being ever longer as she got to her target, she had waited for this moment for what seemed like an eternity, she eventually got to her target and screamed, "SIAME". There lying upright on a bed with wires attached to her was one Shona Shepard, Liara ran over and gave her the biggest hug that she could, "thank the goddess, you are safe, siame, I couldn't bare to live without you", tears were flowing down Liara's face as she continued to hug Shepard, who although was enjoying her ceart-leth hugging her had to tell Liara to stop, "hey, hey, I love being so close, but I'm kinda delicate right now and my ribs are hurting". Liara in horror of hurting her love pulled away, "I'm so sorry, siame", Shepard waved her off, "don't be, I waited for so long to see you again, love, it's just....", Shepard pulled the bed covers down to reveal parts of melted armour still stuck to her abdomen. Liara brought her hands to her mouth in shock, Shepard reached to touch her, "don't worry, ceart-leth, they've already removed most of it", Liara was flabbergasted, "MOST OF IT?"
"Yes, ceart-leth, that and they made most of the other repairs to me, I should be out in a couple of days and back on duty", there was only one part of Shepard's statement that Liara agreed with, "oh, you'll may be out in a couple of days, but you will not be going back on duty, I forbid it", Liara was definite and adamant in her tone and Shepard knew not to argue with her in this mood and besides she knew that despite her vastly expanded lifespan, her front line military days were well and truly over, at least for a good long while. The other members of Shepard's squad were waiting outside the med-bay being kept back by Alliance guards, they wanted to see their commander, but Dr. Michel had ordered that only Liara be allowed in the med-bay. There was of course, one exception, Dr. Chakwas, who came into the med-bay and asked Dr. Michel what the prognosis was, "we have repaired most of the damage to her body and her cybernetics have all been recalibrated, all that is required besides the removal of some leftover melted armour is some bed rest". Dr. Chakwas like Liara was equally determined, "oh, she'll get it, even if I have to chain her to the bed"
Shepard groaned when she heard that, which caused Liara to gently giggle, but Dr, Chakwas wanted to know one thing, "where's Admiral Anderson?" Shepard started to look guilty, Liara noticed the guilty look, "what is it, siame?" Shepard looked into the sapphire eyes of her beloved, "there's something I need to tell you, when Kahlee gets here", Kahlee Sanders was also aboard the Kilimanjaro and was told that when Liara and Dr. Chakwas came aboard she was to go to the med-bay along with Admiral Hackett and Admiral Shepard to hear Shepard tell them all what happened. Kahlee already knew that Anderson was dead as was the Illusive Man, they had found their corpses on the wreckage of the Citadel just before they found Shepard's badly injured body, they just didn't know what exactly happened. The three of them came into the med-bay, but beforehand Shepard told Liara and Chakwas, "I have to tell you both, Admiral Anderson is dead, he was killed on the Citadel, I am so sorry, Auntie Karin" Dr. Chakwas remained calm, but clearly shocked, "what exactly happened, can you tell me, Shona?", just then Kahlee Sanders the 2 admirals entered the med-bay
"You wanted us all together, Shepard?, Hackett tentatively asked not really sure what Shepard was about to reveal to them, Shepard looked uncharacteristically glum answered, "yes, Admiral, it's about what happen to Admiral Anderson". Liara sat on a chair right beside Shepard's bed as Shepard began to tell her story, "after I called for the Normandy to evacuate Liara and Tali, I along with what was left of Hammer set off for the beam, I nearly got there when I was hit by Harbinger's beam". Liara gripped Shepard's hand as she struggled with the image that Shepard's words had set in her head, "siame", she whispered with tears again starting to flow. Shepard gave her ceart-leth a reassuring smile before continuing, "I was knocked unconscious and when I came to, Admiral Anderson was on the com-link telling me that he was heading to the beam, I struggled to get up, the heat of Harbinger's beam had melted my armour to my skin, I made my way to the beam, everyone else in Hammer had been killed, after struggling with my equilibrium, I had to deal with 3 Husks then a Marauder, before I made it to the beam, there I was shot up into the bowels of the Citadel"
She went on, "my landing was less than gentle, I picked myself up off the floor where I heard Admiral Anderson telling me that he had also made it up, but was in a different part of the Citadel, I made my way through a darkened corridor with only low red lighting, but I coule clearly see Keepers rummaging through the belongings of hundreds of human corpses, the stink that came from them was indescribable". Hackett gave a look to the others that confirmed what Shepard had just told them, Alliance teams had found dozens of corridors packed full of human corpses that ready to be processed. Shepard then described what happened next, "I slowly made my way to the control room, Admiral Anderson was at the controls, but he was struggling, he turned around to look at me, he was swaying like a puppet on a string, I became immobile and the Illusive Man made his appearance". Kahlee balled her fist at the mere mention of that monster's name as she listened to more of what Shepard had to say, "he was covered in Reaper tech and was able through it to take control of our motor functions, keeping us both immobile"
Liara gasped at the horror of what the Illusive Man could have potentially have done to them, but worse was to come, "he rambled on about being able to take control of the Reapers, of course he had no chance, Cerberus had been Reaper creatures for quite some time, he was just the last to figure it out, we both tried to talk him down, but it was no use, he was completely indoctrinated". Now came the part that Shepard had to tell Kahlee, "he got control of my arm that was holding a Carnifex and made me shoot Anderson at point blank range, he was unable to flinch even after being shot because of what that bastard did to us", Kahlee almost went to her knees bawling her eyes out after hearing that, both Chakwas and Michel went to support Kahlee. Hannah went over to her daughter, "that bastard, that absolute fucking bastard, he made you kill David, I hope he's rotting in hell", but Shepard responded, "you shouldn't hate him, mum, he wasn't really in control". Liara gasped, "how can you say that siame?, he was behind the murder of Admiral Anderson as well as countless others, please, siame, do not do this, please"
Shepard patted Liara's hand, "no, love, he wasn't, he was just another tool for the Reapers", Shepard then addressed the others, "he kept on with his delusion about controlling the Reapers until I convinced him of his indoctrination, it took some time, but he finally realised it and did the only thing he could to stop it". The Illusive Man was found with a self inflicted gunshot wound to the temple, co-operating Shepard's story, Shepard went on, "Anderson and I had one last chat before he succumbed to his wounds, he told me he was proud of me after that I went over to the controls and opened the Citadel arms, I then heard you, Admiral Hackett telling me that the Crucible wasn't firing, I went back over to the controls, but I blacked out". What she already told them was almost too much, but more was to come, "when I came to I was transported to another part of the Citadel, where the Crucible had docked, then I saw it coming to be a ghostly electronic image of Lilith, the young woman, I saw being melted in the Collector base, of course it wasn't her at all, it was the A.I that was the supreme leader of the Reapers, it called itself the Catalyst"