Illium's Shadow (TheGerbillyOne + Stephanie)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: TheGerbilyOne on 14-07-2010, 03:15:06</h2>
		<dl id="posts">
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Illium's Shadow (TheGerbillyOne + Stephanie)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>TheGerbilyOne</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 03:15:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Raven Shepard looked out across the spaceport of Illium, The hull of the Normandy 2 behind her, casting a shadow across the small walkway. She could not help but smile, moving to comb her hair back behind her ear as he Targeting computer lit up. It seemed like the three workers just below her apparently were hiding Pistols in their baggage. "Mhhh, talk about pertinent information." She mumbled under her breath, giving a small laugh. She had just put together a crew and taken on a threat that the galaxy had not even known about, not to mention pissing off Cerberus in the process. Three punks with pistols hidden with their socks did not seem like something she could be concerned about.&nbsp; There was a small crackle of static as someone patched into the line.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp;"Testing Testing, one two, one two. This is Joker calling the heroine of the galaxy, do you read me? Over" The static cracking again as she could not help but laugh, pressing a finger to her ear as flicked the comm unit back on. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; "Very Funny Joker, Any particular reason you decided to butt in? The Galaxy better not be in danger again, I declared a official moratorium in Intergalactic Emergencies for at least a week." Pushing herself back from the rail as she turned back to look at the Normandy. If she squinted real hard she could almost see Joker smirking from the pilots seat. It had been a dangerous but somehow they had all survived and the frantic energy of the mission had translated into a almost joking spirit from the crew. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp;"Oh trust me, I wouldn't even call you if it was a Intergalactic Emergency, those are so far beneath your notice nowadays. Nope, just a small comminque from Liara. Seems like she wants to speak with you...alone."&nbsp; His voice taking on a small teasing tone at that last word.<br><br>&nbsp; Shepard felt a small little blush rising at her cheeks. That one night in the original Normandy seemed so far away. Still, the very mention of it all made her heart beat just a little faster. "Cut it out Joker, and patch her through okay?"<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp;"No problem boss."<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Illium's Shadow (TheGerbillyOne + Stephanie)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Stephanie</strong> on <strong>16-07-2010, 00:10:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It had been a last resort for Liara T'Soni, calling on Commander Shepard for aid.&nbsp; She had always been a proud Asari, and being forced to ask for help was something she did not enjoy; especially Raven's help, the woman's ego could be rather inflated at times.&nbsp; Still, she would be glad to see her old captain once again, it seemed ages ago when the two had shared that passionate night together aboard the Normandy.&nbsp; The vivid image she formed within her mind was cause enough for her aqua coloured cheeks to turn crimson.&nbsp; Their last meeting, however, had not been as pleasant.&nbsp; Shepard seemed a little distraught to learn that Liara had become an information broker, and on such a hostile planet as Illium.&nbsp; It was true, the Asari had become a little darker, a little more shrewd.&nbsp; But what did the woman expect?&nbsp; She had to make a living somehow.&nbsp; In truth, her reasoning for doing what she did, where she did was not entirely for economic reasons. No, she was again after the shadow broker, and being in this particular position granted her access to information that would otherwise be near impossible to obtain.&nbsp; She was getting close, but a hiccup had presented itself.&nbsp; It seemed the Asari had made trouble with the wrong crowd, and was now forced to call upon her dearest friend for aid.<br><br>"Shepard?" She spoke through the comm-link as Joker patched her through. "Shepard is that you?" A slight flutter in her stomach betrayed the Asari, her voice sounding more eager than she intended.&nbsp; No matter, she was pleased to hear that voice she had loved so long ago.&nbsp; "I'm sorry to disturb you Raven." Having managed to level out her tone before continuing. "May I meet with you. Perhaps the Normandy, or my apartment.&nbsp; Either way, I need to speak with you <em>alone."</em>&nbsp; It would be unwise, she knew to speak of her troubles and devise a plan outside of a face to face meeting. Besides, she longed to see that elegant face once more.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Illium's Shadow (TheGerbillyOne + Stephanie)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>TheGerbilyOne</strong> on <strong>16-07-2010, 05:00:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				&nbsp; &nbsp; <em>"Raven...."</em><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; It was usually just Commander Shepard. Heck, the only people that ever called her by her first name where her family and very very close friends. In almost a instant that slight flutter had just kicked into full on Butterflies. Raven found herself reaching up, moving to adjust her hair even as she tried to concentrate on Liara's Voice. "No problem Liara, I can understand your need for secrecy, especially on a place like Illium. I took care of my own things and I am pretty much free to help you out. I am on the Promande, so how about I swing by and catch you at your Office?"<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; Already she found herself turning towards Liara's office, hips swaying ever so slightly as she headed towards that Office.&nbsp; It was a short walk to be honest, Shepard's eyes flicking over the small booths, he was apparently paging through the slave listings.&nbsp; She couldn't help but shake her head at it all. Slavery might be legal on Illium, but that did not mean she had to like it. There was the smallest of hisses as one of the automatic doorlocks opened, revealing the stairs up to Liara's private office.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; Before taking those final steps though, she found herself stopping, staring into the reflective surface of a nearby panel and checking her lips. Her brown hair was tied up and back, just the way she liked it, the one free strand secured behind her left ear.&nbsp; Her sky blue eyes, admittedly her pride and joy, just as vibrant as ever. Admittedly, the black of her Battle Armor accentuated by red highlights did not flatter her body, but going back and getting changed into something more comfortable at the moment was not a option.&nbsp; At the very least she was thankful that the scars from her "resurrection" had mostly healed, only a couple small indentations left on her chin and cheek any sign of the former deep scars. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp;Satisfied, Shepard turned and climbed the stairs, giving a small nod to Liara's new deskgirl as she pressed the button for admittance.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Illium's Shadow (TheGerbillyOne + Stephanie)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Stephanie</strong> on <strong>19-07-2010, 04:21:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liara agreed with Shepard that a meeting in there office would be best.&nbsp; She was close already and it wouldn't be long before the two could speak.&nbsp; Something which was good news for a change.&nbsp; There wasn't much time to spare, there were a few very powerful people after her and the longer she waited around the more chance she had of being seized.&nbsp; Giving the okay to the commander, Liara began to once again pace back and forth in her office, attempting to find a good excuse for the predicament she was in, and why she needed Raven's help.&nbsp; <br><br>Lost in thought, it seemed like only seconds had past before her secretary informed her of Shepard's arrival.&nbsp; Liara took a deep breath before prompting her assistant to allow Shepard, and any guests she might have with her, entry.<br><br>When the woman entered the doorway into her office Liara was flooded with past memories and emotion.&nbsp; But this was no time for pleasantries and mindless chit chat.&nbsp; That could be saved for later, perhaps for when she was aboard the Normandy, if Shepard thought it necessary.&nbsp; "Shepard." She said, a small smile curving her lips. "It's good to see you again."&nbsp; She offered the woman a small hug before directing her to be seated.<br><br>"There probably isn't a lot of time so I'll just get right to the point." She proceeded, barely allowing the commander time to respond to her greeting. "I need you're help Shepard.&nbsp; I wouldn't have called on you if my situation was not dire."&nbsp; It was true, she would not have called on Raven for help unless absolutely needed, perhaps it was her pride. "I seem to have angered a very dangerous crowd.&nbsp; I sold some very sensitive information that compromised a man who no doubt likes his privacy." It was an understatement to say the least, but she would rather not go into details just yet and decided to simply carry on, rather than explain. "He is a Salarian, I'm not sure exactly what organization he works for or is in charge of, all I know is he has a small army of Krogan working for him." It was an odd revelation, Krogan for the most part hated Salarians and what they had done to their race and so made the situation all the more mysterious. "Yes, a Salarian controlling Krogan.&nbsp; I know this because one night when I was working late my apartment was broken into.&nbsp; The security footage revealed five Krogan ransacking my place..." She went on to explain, in as little detail as she could, the outline of the situation.&nbsp; <br><br>"I need to get out of here Shepard." Her last statement was simple and brief.&nbsp; Liara needed to leave Illium, and quickly. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Illium's Shadow (TheGerbillyOne + Stephanie)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>TheGerbilyOne</strong> on <strong>19-07-2010, 05:43:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				&nbsp; &nbsp;Raven held that hug for as long as could, only moving to pull back when she felt Liara begin to pull away, moving to find her seat. She took only a few seconds to relax, even as her old friend prepared to talk about exactly what was going on. Liara had, matured, she had seen it before, back during her first visit on Illium, but still it could not help but strike her. Her bright blue skin had darkened in the intervening years, leaving the woman whose picture adorned the desk of Raven's Quarters a fond memory.&nbsp; That was not to say that Liara was no longer beautiful, nothing would ever get the commander to change her opinion on that, simply that she wasn't the innocent girl she used to be.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; Shepard sat in silence as Liara explained her problem, giving a small nod every once and awhile to encourage her to continue. The situation did not sound good at all.&nbsp; "Do you think the Salarian was a former Member of the Special Tasks Group perhaps? I don't think the Krogan could have gotten into your place without a alarm going off unless someone was a pretty good hacker..." She was, admittedly, curious about what piece of information Liara had been handling that got her such attention, but didn't vocalize it. That could be found out later, when her old friend was safe and sound.&nbsp; "Which also explains why you didn't want to talk about this over the communications network. Do you think this guy is that well protected?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Illium's Shadow (TheGerbillyOne + Stephanie)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Stephanie</strong> on <strong>19-07-2010, 06:14:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liara sniffed at Shepard's last remark. "Of course he is well protected.&nbsp; If he wasn't, I would know more about him.&nbsp; There is very little information that slips through my grasp here on Illium Shepard.&nbsp; But somehow this man manages to go essentially unnoticed." This particular fact made the Asari visibly angry.&nbsp; Putting her clenched fist down onto the desk in a rather harsh manner, rattling a few of her belongings. "They did set off a silent alarm.&nbsp; I have a bracelet around my wrist.&nbsp; It vibrates when someone has triggered the defense system in my apartment.&nbsp; I rather enjoy catching criminals in the act." That last part was said with a smirk. "However, given the muscle he had with him. I opted to let them go."<br><br>She looked at Shepard, into her eyes, the fear obvious in Liara's own.&nbsp; "Please, Shepard. We need to get off Illium. I can explain more aboard the Normandy.&nbsp; But for now we must go.&nbsp; He has already taken out many of my top agents, highly trained agents I might add.&nbsp; I fear I am next." Liara was not one to run from a fight, but this was one to which she had no reason to stay.&nbsp; It would be suicide to try and remain on the planet before she could regroup, perhaps gather more information on this mysterious foe.&nbsp; <br><br>"I know very little about him, Raven.&nbsp; That is what unsettles me.&nbsp; How far his hand reaches, I do not know.&nbsp; But I would think it is best to find out before I attempt any counter measures." She looked at Shepard, pursing her lips as if thinking. "I need to know my enemy before I attack."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Illium's Shadow (TheGerbillyOne + Stephanie)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>TheGerbilyOne</strong> on <strong>20-07-2010, 15:32:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;To say that Raven was surprised at her friends reaction would be a understatement. She might not have been around Liara during those intervening years, but striking the desk? She was scared, she had to be. Not even the assault on the Citadel had cracked the Asari's demeanor like this.&nbsp; "Okay Liara, no Problem. I am sure we can rustle up some extra space on the Normandy, but if you travel with me we are going to have a rule, No Shadow Broker business while on board. I mean it Liara, I have Cerberus and the Reapers both after me, I don't want the number one mysterious entity in the Universe with a free ticket inside my ship."<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; Her voice had been comforting in the beginning, but ended far sterner than she would have liked. It was not that she did not trust Liara.&nbsp; Still, the Illusive man's words echoed through her head. "Liara is compromised."&nbsp; She might be, but she was still a friend, Raven was not in the habit of leaving friends behind. Before she had time to think about it to much she stood up, walking over to Liara as her arms wrapped around the woman's hips, pulling her close. Once again she wished she had worn something other than her battle armor, so that she could feel that body against hers. "It is not that I don't trust you Liara, its just your mixed up with someone I can't risk tipping my hand too."
			</dd>
		</dl>
		<div id="footer" class="smalltext">
			
			<span class="smalltext" style="display: inline; visibility: visible; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?action=credits" title="Simple Machines Forum" target="_blank" class="new_win">SMF 2.0.19</a> |
 <a href="https://www.simplemachines.org/about/smf/license.php" title="License" target="_blank" class="new_win">SMF © 2021</a>, <a href="https://www.simplemachines.org" title="Simple Machines" target="_blank" class="new_win">Simple Machines</a>
			</span>
		</div>