Archive of Our Own

Somewhere deep within the heart of the Theseus System, a broken colony began to heal.

As Shepard stepped foot onto the hardened soil of Zhu's Hope, she observed her surroundings for the first time since destroying the Thorian. It had been two months since that horrendous day, two months since the geth attack ruined what the colony achieved, and the colonists appeared to be steadily gaining back what they had lost. Much of the initial evidence of the attack was now cleared away, namely, all known bodies of those not lucky enough to survive the invasion had been laid to rest with respects paid and the promise that their deaths protecting the colony would not be in vain.

Despite Shepard's best efforts to avoid casualties among the indoctrinated colonists, it was apparent that the loss of Fai Dan had dampened their morale, uncertain as to how to start anew without their leader. It was fortunate that despite the roles they played in the Thorian's enslavement, Shiala, along with Juliana and Lizbeth Baynham, had been allowed to stay to aid the colony with their rebuilding efforts. With some initial mistrust between themselves and the survivors of Zhu's Hope resolved, the newly unified group were committed to moving forward together to bring about a new era for their home that may be not only as good as, but might also eventually surpass what it had been before the attack.

Accompanied with Shepard was Liara. With the threat of Saren and Sovereign removed, the pair had found some time to revisit Feros to see if there was anything they could do to ease the burden placed on the colonists. Given that ExoGeni cut ties with Zhu's Hope completely despite numerous pleas made by Juliana Baynham, leaving the colonists struggling financially to top off the evil inflicted by using them as test subjects trapped in the Thorian's thrall, Shepard was determined to use the debt owed to her by the Council for saving their lives to fund the colony's revival.

Liara also had the secondary objective of speaking with Shiala. Several weeks had passed since the death of her mother on Noveria and it was only right to allow Shiala the closure of knowing Benezia was no longer suffering under the control of indoctrination. It was a thought that comforted Liara during her darker hours: the hours that hazily bled into the next, leaving her with nothing to cling onto except Shepard's reassurances that nothing she could've done could have prevented the eventual outcome. Despite only knowing the Commander for a few months, they had developed a close bond and it was with Shepard's encouragement that Liara decided to come with her on this trip.

While Liara broke away from the gathering of people that had formed around them in favour of venturing deeper into the colony in pursuit of Shiala, Shepard remained near the entrance where they were greeted with warm but somewhat frantic welcomes from those keen to speak with her again. Several moments passed for Shepard to compose herself before taking a dive into the crowd. The memory of their faces twisted in agony and confusion, guns firing at her but not of their own accord, was one of many that haunted her in her rare moments of rest. Shepard breathed in deeply and focused her attention to the colonists standing before her right now, tired and beaten down but not in any immediate danger. Many of them were desperate to talk with the woman who saved them and every head was turned towards her as she began to speak.

As it turns out, the water and food rations restored to the colony were vital for saving lives in the first several days following the geth attack, but it was finding the replacement power cells that was probably of the most benefit in the long-run. Rations weren't set to last for longer than a week and within five days May O'Connell had established connections to some of the more “honourable” providers in the Terminus Systems that were willing to accept the lower prices Zhu's Hope had to offer from what was left of its start-up funding. Luck, O'Connell had called it. Shepard made a mental note to keep an eye on these corporations in case they attempted to pull any moves. It wasn't every day that 'Terminus Systems' and 'charitable giving' could go hand in hand in a sentence and she didn't put it past these providers to exploit the colony in the future.

Meanwhile, Liara tentatively made her way through the makeshift hallway inside one of the rebuilt accommodation blocks that had been constructed out of the rubble of the attack. It was by no means perfect: the colonist who had pointed her in the direction of Shiala's room had also informed her that the blocks were in a constant state of repair, whether it was from material too damaged to upkeep, the hazardous weather causing cave-ins, or from nightmare-stricken colonists waking up in the middle of the night, lunging themselves into the walls in an attempt to escape, to run off into the night as a result of the spores that still remained long after the Thorian's death.

As Liara approached the room where Shiala was said to be, she came across a salarian standing in the doorway instead. She recognised him from her previous visit to the colony. Ledra, she believed he said he was known as, after explaining that most people don't address salarians by their full given name.

“Ah, Liara. We were told to expect you right about now. You're searching for Shiala, yes?”

Liara was momentarily stunned. If he could remember something as insignificant as her name, she dreaded to think what else he could remember from the horrible day they met.

“That's correct, I was told that Shiala would be found here. I am surprised that you remember who I am, Ledra.” Liara gave a shy smile and prayed desperately that she hadn't gotten the salarian's name wrong. That wouldn't be the greatest start to establishing relations here.

Ledra just chuckled, “How could I forget the hero who saved us alongside Commander Shepard? Not to mention, Shiala speaks of you often enough. She's out collecting salvage at the moment but she'll be back any minute now I reckon.”

Liara blushed. Despite it being widely known that she played a role in taking down Saren and saving the Citadel, she was still having trouble adjusting to being referred to as a hero. She was also slightly embarrassed to learn that Shiala had been talking about her, albeit curious as to what about. The commando had been one of her mother's most loyal followers while Liara grew up and they had spent quite a bit of time together so there were plenty of stories that could be told.

Liara was about to ask what Shiala had spoken about but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind her. Ledra's eyes lit up in recognition as Liara turned to face the source of the sound: none other than Shiala herself.

“Shiala!” Liara exclaimed, resisting her immediate urge to lean forward and hug the familiar asari. She wasn't sure what state Shiala was in after her physical imprisonment and didn't want to aggravate the trauma. She was looking better than she did immediately after being released from the Thorian though, much to Liara's relief. In her hands was a basket containing miscellaneous parts, likely taken from abandonded geth tech on the runway to ExoGeni headquarters.

Shiala was taken aback, frozen into place at the sight of the asari maiden stood before her. She had expected Liara's arrival but now that she was actually here she realised she wasn't sure how to greet her. After stealing a moment to compose herself, Shiala leaned forward and gave Liara a hug just as she suspected the maiden had just refrained from doing. As Liara grew up, the asari would often greet each other with a hug as they had developed what could be considered a good friendship over the years. She knew that in some ways Liara considered herself closer to her than she did her mother, and when Liara reciprocated the current hug they were in, she hoped that it meant they were still on good terms.

Ledra watched the sentimental scene unfold as the asari seemed unable to part from the embrace and awkwardly cleared his throat, “Well, I'll leave the two of you to it. I'm sure you both have plenty of catching up to do. I'll just, um,” he trailed off as he searched for a polite way to excuse himself, amusement evident in his tone, “I'll just check up on our stock. Again.”

Great, Shiala thought in jest. Now he was bound to tease her later.

Minutes later, the two of them were sat together in what turned out to be Shiala and Ledra's shared room. Shiala explained that since they hadn't rebuilt enough to provide rooms for everyone, the colonists had taken to living in groups. This arrangement also worked as a security set up, especially when it came to the Thorian's spores threatening to make a colonist lash out against themselves during their worst moments.

After the initial novelty of reuniting with each other in calmer circumstances than the last wore off, the mood sobered as Shiala enquired what had made Liara wish to speak with her so urgently.

“I know that you've been kept in the dark about Benezia's whereabouts since... the Thorian incident.” Liara glanced downwards as she spoke. “We had a confrontation on Noveria. She was completely indoctrinated, though she managed to break free from it temporarily to give us information vital to helping us track down Saren. It wasn't long until the indoctrination stole her mind away from her again though and made her attack us. We were forced to fight back.”

Liara looked back up at Shiala, but couldn't read how she was feeling from the completely neutral expression on her face.

“In the fight, mother was fatally wounded. We tried to help, Shepard offered medigel but she refused.” Liara's voice quietened as she spoke mournfully, “She chose to die so that we could bring down Saren and save countless lives.”

Silence fell between them as Liara lowered her gaze. She was used to silence, but usually it was the comfortable sort. Silence on her digs, silence when she retreated to her quarters behind the medbay after a long day, silence with Shepard when there wasn't much to say but they were enjoying each other's company anyway. There were plenty of uncomfortable silences with her mother growing up, but with Shiala it was rare. Except for now. The sound of Shepard's voice conversing with people at the other end of the colony could be heard in the distance and embarrassingly Liara realised that she wished they had made the trip to speak to Shiala together.

Shiala studied the maiden and noticed the way she focused her attention on her hands while waiting for her response. Knowing Liara for so many years meant developing a good understanding of her body language and right now Liara was obviously nervous, probably anticipating a harsh reaction.

Instead, Shiala just sighed. Liara raised her head at the sound, confusion painted across her face.

“I'm sorry to hear, that must've been really difficult for you to do. It can't have been easy to tell me, either.” Shiala eventually offered, calmness in her voice as she shared her compassion. “I have to admit, it's much like her to sacrifice her life like this. I'm glad there was still a part of her still able to do so though of course I wish there could've been another way. Your mother was remarkably strong to fight it off when you needed it most.”

“She was, I am relieved to hear that from you Shiala. I suppose I believed there would be some part of you angry at her for her eventual end, for leading you down this path. And perhaps, a part of you angry at me as well.” Liara's voice was barely above a whisper.

Now it was Shiala's turn to appear confused. “Angry at you? Liara, you and the Commander did what had to be done. If there was another way that could've saved Benezia I don't doubt you would've done it in a heartbeat but as it was you had no other option. She knew this as well which is why her sacrifice carries so much weight.”

“You're right, we did what we could given the situation but that isn't why I believed you'd feel anger towards me.” Inhaling, Liara continued, “When I left mother to pursue my studies I did so in favour of isolating myself through my digs rather than staying in contact with her. Or with you, for that matter. Perhaps it is an irrational worry but I can't help but wonder whether my refusal to keep in touch with mother indirectly lead to her making the decision to follow Saren. If I had known of her plan I could have discouraged her.”

At that, Shiala wasted no time dismissively shaking her head. “That's simply not the truth. You couldn't have known this was the path she'd choose and you couldn't have prevented us even if you had somehow known. I've known the two of you for many years and if there's one thing I can safely say you have in common it's that you're both incredibly strong-willed. If you decide to do something, anyone who wants to talk you out of it will have a tough job doing so, even close relatives. There's no way you could've changed the direction she took, the direction I chose to follow her in.”

Objectively, Liara knew Shiala was right. Shepard had more or less told her the same thing but it still didn't make it much easier to think about. It was reassuring to know the asari she grew up around, her friend throughout the years, harboured no ill-feeling towards her and she knew Shepard would be pleased as well. Tension that the maiden hadn't even realised she'd pent-up eased its way out of her body as she allowed herself to form a comfortable smile.

“Thank you, Shiala. It'll take some time to fully believe it myself but I know you are right. Shepard has been saying the same thing and I trust her completely but it helps to hear it from someone as close to my mother as you were.”

Shiala raised her eyebrow markings at the mention of Shepard. She hadn't thought there was anything more personal happening between them but Liara obviously seemed taken aback that she'd mentioned it, if her look of shock and immediate backtracking were any indication.

“I mean, not that I disclose a lot of personal feelings to the Commander! She is my Commanding Officer and I am a member of her crew, our relationship is completely professional–”

“It's alright, Liara,” the older asari chuckled. She'd forgotten how flustered Liara would get around topics she found embarrassing. Apparently discussing the relationship between the Commander and herself with an old friend and follower of her mother fell into that category. “If you and Commander Shepard are romantically involved I think that's really wonderful. I'm happy for you both.”

Liara's blush didn't fade but she grinned nonetheless. After a few seconds of internally debating she decided there was no point denying her budding relationship with the Commander any longer.

“I appreciate it and I know that Shepard will as well when I pass on your support. Not just for us but for everything we've spoken about today.”

With that, the asari decided to make their way across the colony to rejoin Shepard. An hour later Liara and the Commander were back on the Normandy on route to the Citadel, hope and determination for the future of the colony anew.

---

After another unsuccessful conversation with the Baria Frontiers representative Erinya, Shiala sighed as she took a seat in the transportation hub on Illium. Two years on from the geth attack that ruined the colony, two years on from her imprisonment inside the Thorian, and it seemed that the problems never ceased to exist. In terms of the colony itself, the collective effort put into its revival by the colonists had really paid off. Living accommodation had been built for each resident using safe, stable material left behind by the geth that no longer caved in whenever someone stomped their foot down too hard. Resources like food, water and power were plentiful and reasonable business trades with providers outside of Citadel space had been, for the most part, established well enough to keep the colony running with the basics.

It also helped to have had none other than Commander Shepard on their side. While the Citadel Council were reluctant to provide aid to the colony, and were on the verge of outright refusing following the attack on the Citadel, the Spectre had been able to pile on the pressure with help from her crew on the Normandy. The newly acclaimed heroes were widely known to be responsible for putting an end to Saren and it was among popular opinion that the Council owed them their lives. Shepard had remained tight-lipped about how she gained their favour specifically, but if speculation was to be believed, it was heavily suggested to the Council that if they were unable to help the colony then the woman who defeated Saren would be forced to expose the Council's inaction leading up to the attack on the Citadel in order to gain support from the public instead. Financial aid from the Council came to them after that, and although it wasn't as much as they had hoped, they were grateful for the Commander's support regardless.

No, that was hardly the problem anymore. The colony was getting closer to thriving each day. The problem she was here trying to resolve pertained to the colonists' health. She didn't even have to look around to know that she'd turned almost every head on the way to where she was sitting thanks to her unusual new shade of green. The Thorian had left everyone at Zhu's Hope with at least some form of worrying complication, but it was even more unfortunate that hers happened to be so visible. That, along with the newfound instability of her biotics, made her hesitant to leave the settlement at first. Should trouble occur, she couldn't say for certain whether her biotics be adequate protection. The thought troubled her but she also knew that she couldn't just hide within the the structure of Zhu's Hope for the rest of her life, she had a responsibility to herself and her friends back at home to negotiate changes to the invasive medical contracts they had unknowingly agreed to that were bound to do more harm than good.

It was then that the woman on her mind entered her line of sight from the other end of the hub. As if by magic, she mused. The “dead” Spectre just happens to be in the same location as herself on her first venture off of Feros since the attack. Did Commander Shepard have an innate ability to sense when her help was required, or were her frequent timely arrivals just down to luck? As the Commander approached, her expression transformed from neutral to surprised. Ah, so it must be luck.

Shiala rose from her seat to greet the Commander. She wasn't alone, but Shiala could barely contain her relief at seeing a friendly face after being surrounded by those who wanted nothing to do with her all day. After exchanging greetings, Shiala wasted no time in explaining the situation and by extension, explaining to the perplexed Commander why her skin pigment had changed. Shiala could tell the woman was dying to know but was too polite to ask.

Shepard, true to her persuasive nature, got the contracts revised within minutes. How she did it Shiala will never know. An entire day's strife resolved just like that. Best put magic back on the table. She hoped the Commander would have some time to talk before she went back on her way doing whatever it was that brought her to Illium after her two years undercover as a “dead” Spectre. When the news first came about that the great Commander Shepard had become MIA and presumed dead, Shiala hadn't believed a word of it. She had seen the Spectre in action and had faith that she was simply keeping low profile to continue her work out of the public eye. Two years later and she had her confirmation that the faith she held was well-placed.

Contrary to her anxieties, Shepard appeared to be in no rush to hurry off.

“So, Shiala. Now that your business with Baria Frontiers is dealt with, will you be sticking around a while longer? Sight-seeing, maybe?”

The sincerity in the Commander's expression didn't go unnoticed. Shepard was treating her like an actual person, not a traitor who aided Benezia when she chose to follow Saren, or some kind of freak for her unusual green shade. She cleared her throat as she debated her next words.

“I've already enjoyed the view as much as possible for someone who has been attracting attention from every direction since arriving. If one person hasn't recognised me as a traitor of the asari people and by extension the sanctity all security in Citadel space, they've given me grief for my unfortunate new appearance. It feels like I haven't a moment to myself to truly take in my surroundings when so many eyes are on me. Other than Erinya,” Shiala scrunched her face in displeasure at the mention of the Baria Frontier representative's name, “I haven't had a conversation, let alone a pleasant one, with anyone except you. Well, and Liara, who is working as an information broker here now! Can you believe it? It was her that helped me track down Erinya in the first place.”

Though she continued to maintain her calm smile, Shiala observed as Shepard tensed up slightly. The question hadn't been in the asari's mind, but it was answered in an instant. Whatever kept Shepard undercover as dead for two years had obviously taken a toll on their relationship.

“Ah, sorry Commander.” Shiala apologised at the reaction.

Shepard allowed the tension to leave her body again as she focused her attention back onto the asari stood in front of her.

“No need for that, it's a complicated situation but it's not important right now.” Shepard shifted as she attempted to return the topic to Shiala's stay on Illium, “We have some time to spare before we have to return to the Normandy. Would you like to join us for some tourism? I'm sure people will be more respectful when they see three armed ladies with you.”

The Commander turned to see how her squadmates were doing. Kasumi appeared to be beside herself with joy, no doubt picking out ideal exploitation spots for future thievery. Miranda seemed torn between trying to keep an eye on the elated woman and monitoring Shepard's interaction with Shiala without visibly coming across as being invasive.

Allowing her gaze to follow the Commander's, Shiala sighed. It wasn't that she didn't want to take up on the offer, but rather her desire to return to Zhu's Hope as soon as possible took precedence.

 “That's a really kind offer, thank you Commander. But right now I'd like to return to the colony to give them the good news. Perhaps once our situations improve and circumstance allows us, we can meet again? Here, or anywhere else. If you wish to that is.”

“Sounds like a plan. Before you go though, is there anything else Zhu's Hope needs? Can I help at all?”

“You've already done more than we could've ever asked for. The colony is alive today thanks to you. You didn't have to do any more than that but you did. With the funding you managed to get from the Council we've been able to establish the materials and long term trade agreements necessary to start thriving again. It'll take time, but it's possible again thanks to you and your crew. And of course, your help today with these medical contracts is a world of trouble off our backs.“

Shepard gave a slight nod in acknowledgement that she did help set these events in motion. However she also knew that if Zhu's Hope was not filled with obviously self-sufficient individuals who were able to hold their own following the attack, they would've crumbled regardless of her assistance sending them on their way.

“You aren't giving yourselves enough credit. I just did my best to help you guys get a second chance at life and to be able to freely rebuild your colony safe from harm's way.” Shepard glanced around briefly before lowering her voice and ushering Shiala to a more secluded corner. “Speaking of which, do you have defences in place to stop another attack from happening should things come that again?”

“Not in the traditional sense. Liara offered to set us up with professional guards, but I can speak on behalf of everyone back home that not only would that be totally overwhelming, but also unnecessary. Zhu's Hope is our home and we can only achieve long term stability by relying on each other. We don't need any outside forces disrupting that.”

Shiala subconsciously leaned closer to the Commander. “Besides, you know how we've all experienced physical symptoms from being trapped in the Thorian's thrall? Well, there is more to it. There's some kind of... link between us. A connection. It's only become more apparent in recent months and we're still learning how to utilise it to its best effectiveness, but we think it's from the remaining spores that the Thorian embedded in our minds. Now that it isn't around any longer to control us, we're learning to use them to reach out to each other. If we can strengthen ourselves, we can strengthen our home. We aren't indoctrinated any longer despite how it can feel sometimes. We are in control of our own paths, we have our freewill back. It isn't an easy thing to comprehend but do you understand, Commander?”

The asari took a moment to step back, regain her breath and scan the room to make sure there were no prying eyes – with the exception of Shepard's squadmates, though she doubted she was even within their hearing range now.

Surprisingly (though, perhaps it shouldn't be all that surprising), Shepard appeared to follow her entire explanation. She had personally experienced a crash-course in indoctrination during her investigation of Saren after all. Although Thorian indoctrination and its after-effects differ from that of a Reaper, it serves as a good enough basis for understanding as any. She turned her focus back to Shepard when she began responding.

“So you're using the Thorian's powers to gain your own favours now that it has been defeated? I can't imagine a better way of saying 'fuck you' to it than that!”

Though she knew she may be overanalysing, Shiala swore she could detect a hint of pride in the Commander's tone.

“I guess you could say that's accurate but we don't yet know enough about it to fully understand its long term impact. Right now the spores act as more of a hub that ties us all together and allows us to co-ordinate and grow through each other, but we can't say that in the future it won't become a hindrance or worse. With the threat of the Reapers still ahead we're attempting to use our communal link to heighten our defences should we need to fight. We can't do anything about the spores that remain but until something goes horribly wrong or the effects of the spores wear away completely, we've got to utilise what we've been given if it can aid us.”

“That seems reasonable.” Shepard agreed, “Has learning to co-ordinate through the link helped at all with the night terrors that were common for many of you after the attack?”

“Yes, greatly actually. Once we began to realise there was a bond forming between us we started using it to ground each other and bring one another back to the present. Our nightmares still happen occasionally, there's a darkness that the Thorian left behind that threatens to creep back in sometimes but when that happens we're able to reach out and bring the person back into the light. I suppose the closest comparison I can make is to the asari meld. It isn't quite the same, but I've been able to use elements of the meld to strengthen the bond of all of us through the link.”

The Commander flashed a warm grin. “They're lucky to have you. How is Ledra doing? I'm sure he's glad no longer being the only non-human resident of the colony.”

At the mention of her friend, Shiala's expression matched that of Shepard's. As much as she adored her human companions at the colony she was glad to have the salarian around. While they no longer shared a room together thanks to their improved living spaces, he lived next door in the apartment directly opposite her own. Their rooms were the closest to the newly built common room so they would often spend time in there together when the other colonists had retired to their own quarters for the night. Usually, their conversations would range from discussing the similarities and differences in their cultures, comparing them to that of humans', and sharing stories about their lives before living in the colony. It was convenient for them. Ledra, like every other salarian, only needed one hour of sleep per night. Before Shiala joined the colony, when he was completely alone until his fellow colonists awoke, he would keep himself so occupied that he couldn't feel his mind being taken from him by the Thorian until it was much too late.

Though Shiala needed as much sleep as her human companions, she didn't make a habit of it. While wholeheartedly accepted into the colony, Shiala had initially isolated her mind from everyone until Ledra helped her break down her barriers – not through the meld, obviously, but through listening and understanding. There was nobody left for her outside of Zhu's Hope and she felt too ashamed to talk about her trauma to anyone else, given the part she played in their suffering still weighing heavily on her for months following her release to freedom. She didn't sleep much – she couldn't, she had told herself. The Thorian could still be in her mind ready to fight for control again if she let her guard down. She shouldn't, she had told herself. She didn't deserve to after what she had done.

Shiala responded before her mind could pull her back into those darker thoughts.

“He's doing well, Commander. He and I are good friends, being the only non-humans in a human settlement comes with its own unique bonding experience. He's been very helpful for me with, you know... coming to terms with what happened to me. What I inadvertently did to them.”

Shiala cast her eyes downwards for a brief moment at the mention of her time of enslavement. She regained eye contact with the woman stood in front of her when she spoke her name, encouraging her to continue.

“We have a good dynamic going on. He listens to me in my times of need and in return, I keep him company throughout the night. It's hard to imagine how lonely it must be living away from other salarians when you only have to sleep for a single hour per night.”

“That's reassuring news, Shiala. After all you've been through you both deserve good things.”

As she said her thanks, Shiala recalled the question that lead them to this particular conversation.

“Out of curiosity, why did you ask about our defences?”

The Commander's facial features instantly shifted from casual to a more hardened, down-to-business expression.

“Have you ever heard of the Collectors, the believed-to-be mythical race that come from beyond the Omega 4 Relay? They're real, they're working with the Reapers and they're targetting human colonies.”

Shepard paused, allowing her words to sink in as Shiala inhaled sharply. She held her hand up and continued to speak before Shiala could muster an alarmed response.

“I'm working on stopping them. They'll be taken down one way or another but Zhu's Hope will need all the protection it can get. From what we've seen so far, the Collectors are targetting humans specifically. The first colony we investigated abducted every human but left the only non-human, a quarian, unharmed.”

“But how is that possible? What do they want with human colonists?” Shiala cut in with disbelief.

“That's... something we don't know. Yet. We plan to find out when we defeat them.” Shepard sighed as she pulled up her omnitool with some footage of the attack on Freedom's Progress, careful to tilt the display so that only Shiala and herself could see.

The Commander observed as a range of emotions flickered across Shiala's face: anxiety, confusion, fear, rage. For a moment Shepard thought the asari was going to allow her turbulent feelings to manifest through her biotics, but she appeared to keep them restrained with a slight show of effort. She stared at the omnitool motionless following the footage coming to an end.

“What can we do to protect ourselves from that happening to us?” Shiala asked at last.

“I have access to someone who has developed a countermeasure to help prevent detection during the attacks. It worked for us while we were investigating one of the colonies and I think it would be a good idea if you guys use it too. It won't be necessary for you and Ledra since the Collectors' technology is designed to only detect humans but for everyone else it'll be crucial.”

Shiala nodded in agreement while Shepard hesitantly proposed her next idea. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she suddenly became aware of the fact that there could be any number of loitering spies around them right now just waiting to leak what they've been discussing into the wrong hands. She knew that her squadmates would be vigilant and not let anyone suspicious get close enough to them to hear their conversation in depth. She also knew that many people on Illium were too busy minding their own business and trying not to get caught up in other peoples' shady affairs to be listening in on them closely. Still, it couldn't hurt to exercise caution.

“What I'm thinking is that we don't deliver it to you directly as it wouldn't be wise to risk tipping the Collectors off and luring them to Zhu's Hope if they track my movements there. If you're willing, I can pay Liara another visit and see if she can send a trustworthy contact to you with the countermeasure along with instructions while you're at the colony.”

“That would be very welcome, at this stage I can't think of two people I trust outside of the colony more than both of you. As soon as I return I'll be making sure everyone is aware of the Collector threat so that we can begin preparations should they target us. You've possibly saved our lives again, Commander. On behalf of Zhu's Hope, we can only hope to repay what we owe you once all of this is over.”

“Anytime, Shiala. The only thing I want in return is for you guys to stay as safe as possible during these darker times.”

“We'll do our best, thank you.”

It was obvious that Shiala wanted to return to Zhu's Hope as quickly as she could with the information. After making Shiala promise that Shepard be the first person the colony notifies if they run into trouble, the pair said their farewells and parted ways.

Two days later, the countermeasure was delivered to Zhu's Hope with instructions on how to use and a personal note written from Commander Shepard. As far as they were concerned, the Commander had given them yet another chance to survive as the galaxy continued to enter its bleakest days.

---

Somewhere in a burnt out mess of rubble and ruin, a colony ripped apart at the seams stitched up its war-torn heart for the second time.

The colonists of Zhu's Hope were not present at the time of its destruction. After much debate over whether the best course of action would be to stay and fight for the colony, regardless of whether that meant perishing alongside it as it fell, or abandoning the colony when the Reapers attacked the Theseus System, a difficult compromise was made. They could hold onto the colony, strengthen its defences to the best of their abilities but that wouldn't matter if the Reapers decided it was time to take down Feros. While Commander Shepard had put a stop to the Collectors before they could attempt an abduction on the colonists, the skills honed through their communal link had proven to be worth the hard work and dedication regardless. It was heavy-heartedly decided that the wisest strategy would be to use these skills to repel any Reaper troops that were sent to invade Zhu's Hope and then evacuate, fortifying the colony to the highest possible level and praying for even just the slimmest chance of its survival against the Reapers in their absence.

Of course, Zhu's Hope had no such luck. When the Reapers descended upon the recently vacated colony, they were greeted with nothing but several dozens of their own deceased troops laying out in the open not far from the colony's the entrance. Not a single colonist in sight. It was no matter to the Reapers, though. Each mutated monster they unleashed could be replaced with another, they were merely canon-fodder. The colonists could only escape the harvesting for so long and they were were running out of places in the galaxy to hide, their resistance only slightly prolonged the inevitable. The Reapers tore through each painstakingly placed line of defence in a heartbeat, the colony held no match for them as everything the colonists had worked to achieve since the geth attack was instantaneously reduced to burning debris.

The escapees of Zhu's Hope on the other hand had taken to assisting other colonies in need as Reaper forces encroached upon their home systems. Shiala had lent her biotic skills in addition to offering information melds to colony leaders detailing effective strategy techniques, exploitable weak spots and tactics for inspiring colonists to team up and direct their shared efforts against enemy troops. Ledra, with his expertise as a merchant, distributed firearms salvaged from the geth to those suffering from weapon shortages free of charge as per wartime conditions. Colonies in need of power were aided by May O'Connell who opened the pathway for colonists to re-establish communications with their family and friends across the galaxy, while food and water shortages were managed by Macha Doyle and Davin Reynolds. In total, the aid provided by each colonist allowed several colonies to hold out against Reaper troops and, when the time came, evacuate to the Citadel.

It was nine galactic standard months before it was possible to return to Zhu's Hope. While galaxy's most intelligent minds worked towards repairing the mass relays destroyed by the blast of the Crucible, the colonists were housed on the Citadel, their final destination before the Reapers took hold of the station. They had been there to check in on the colonists they'd helped evacuate when the invasion began, leaving them no choice but to stay and fight, to do their best to protect unarmed civilians. Life on the Citadel was... different. Not necessarily bad but it was a big change from the small colony life they knew. They walked among those they had saved and were praised as heroes, and while the honour was reluctantly accepted on the grounds that people needed to look to hopeful figures for morale in times of ruin, they refused any sort of preferential treatment in favour of aiding the rebuilding effort.

Hearing reports and reading statistical estimates about the damage caused to various colonies across the galaxy was one thing but to step onto the planet that had been their home for several years and seeing the destruction first hand was another. And to think, they believed the worst damage that could've possibly been done was by the geth back when Saren was the biggest threat they faced. The wasteland that stood before them put that notion to shame. But even with the devastation there was also a sense of relief. No more Reapers, no more threat to galactic life as they knew it, just a clear road ahead to rebuild for hopefully the final time.

There were rumours that the galactic hero Commander Shepard along with the Normandy crew had somehow survived whatever it was they did that brought the Reapers to such an immediate end. Though these rumours were mostly dismissed as wishful thinking, an admittedly illogical flicker of hope remained in the survivors of Zhu's Hope. Having personally seen them in action, the colonists knew that Shepard and her crew had the tendency of defying all the odds set against them. Was that enough to survive the final blow of the harbingers of death itself, though?

Evidently it was. Three months into rebuilding their home once more, the news made its way to Zhu's Hope that Commander Shepard and the surviving members of her crew had returned to the Citadel and were awaiting talks with the high up officials of each Council race. Public information about the presumed dead heroes of the galaxy was scarce. To the colonists the most important thing was that they had survived. Details could come later.

As Shepard stepped foot onto the softened soil of Zhu's Hope, she observed her surroundings for the first time since destroying the Reapers. It had been one year since that triumphant day, one year since the Reapers' reign of terror was stopped forever, and the colony appeared to be rapidly gaining back what they had lost. As it turns out, aiding the galaxy as it fell down around them meant having several favours returned when they needed it most. With the support of the Citadel Council, along with many colonists they helped evacuate and even some asari who came to realise that indoctrination was the cause for Shiala's actions with Benezia and that she wasn't actually a traitor, the second rebuilding effort was going much more smoothly than the last.

Directly in front of Shepard stood a bed of flowers. It was a small, basic allotment that contained no more than a few common plants native to Earth, Thessia and Sur'Kesh. The colonists had agreed that the tiny garden of new life was symbolic of their own new lives free from the Reapers, able to grow and heal from the dirt that had once laid barren from the destruction they brought. Fortunately, Lizbeth Baynham had a passion for plant life and oversaw most of the garden's development. It was partly this interest in plants that had lead her to the decision to work with her mother studying the Thorian before realising what the study truly involved. Crops, too, were starting to flourish ever so slightly, poking towards the sun as it shone high above the colony. Along with rebuilding living accommodation, agricultural self-sufficiency was a top priority for the coming post-Reaper era.

“Shepard, over here!” Liara called over to Shepard. The Commander turned towards her bondmate and grinned at the sight of her stood outside the accommodation blocks with Shiala. Liara had been just as keen to return to the colony as Shepard, needing to see for herself that Zhu's Hope was doing as well as she had been told.

Once inside Shiala started giving a guided tour though admittedly, there wasn't much to see. The décor was as dull as it had been before the Reapers, though she noted with hope that a consensus on what colour to paint the walls could be reached eventually, at least. She mused over the fact that debating between themselves about something as trivial as paint rather than what sacrifices should be made in the face of galactic extinction was an optimistic sign.

The pair followed Shiala into the rebuilt common room where a wooden table sat central to the few chairs that surrounded it. The asari beckoned them to take a seat.

“I know you've already been told countless times since your arrival but I wanted to thank you both again, personally, for everything you did during the war and for putting an end to the Reapers once and for all. Without you our colony wouldn't have survived and we'd almost certainly be dead rather than here expressing our gratitude.”

Shiala met the gaze of both her companions with sincerity. She was aware that such sentimentality was, while very appreciated, awkward for Shepard and Liara to respond to. The crew of the Normandy now had the whole galaxy throwing themselves at their feet to rightfully praise them as the heroes they are but from what Shiala had seen from the news vids, none of them particularly knew how to react to such treatment. She could relate on a smaller scale, thinking back to the way the colonists she'd helped evacuate treated her while on the Citadel.

“I won't bring it up after this because I can tell neither of you will want to hear the words 'thank you' uttered ever again, but I feel I owe you at least that much after all you've done for us, and for me on a more personal level. Freeing me, giving me a second chance to make amends, being kind and understanding after the whole... situation, with Benezia and I. You didn't have to do any of that but you did and I'll be forever grateful.”

Liara was the first to respond, “Even if I didn't have personal ties with you and even if you weren't a loyal follower of my mother, we would have still freed you and aided Zhu's Hope. You deserved at least that after having your minds stolen from you by that thing,” she gestured outwards slightly with her hand, words laced with disgust at the mention of the Thorian, “and your collaboration with Saren wasn't of your own free will. Sovereign is to blame.”

Shepard's focus shifted from her bondmate back to Shiala and she finally spoke up. “I agree with Liara, you've never needed to prove yourself to us and you don't have to feel like you don't deserve what we've been able to do for you and everyone else here. Without your own initiative and dedication you'd have never succeeded getting as far as you did after the geth attack. All we've done is continue to make sure you've had the freedom to do so, the rest has been of your own merit.”

Shepard gave Shiala that warm grin of hers and she found herself reflecting the expression in return. “It means a lot to hear you both say that. With the Reapers gone we've been planning on getting our colony back to the standard it was before they invaded and eventually, we'll work on building something even greater. As you've seen from our flower bed and crops outside, we want to add a dash of beauty to the colony and also grow our own produce. We'll keep what we need for ourselves and donate all surplus crops to other small colonies struggling with food shortages. I suspect many of the colonies we helped to evacuate will be in need of donations and anyone else who needs the aid will also be able to reach out to us. Once the needs of those who have used our donations to get back on their feet have been satisfied, we'll open up trades for anyone able to pay whether that be with credits or other resources that can help us rebuild.”

Both Liara and Shepard seemed to have eased with the explanation. Liara, in particular, looked incredibly relieved.

“That is really good news, Shiala. I believed you would've had some kind of plan along those lines in effect but it's helpful to know for certain.”

“And you know how to get in contact if you need us for anything in the future.” Shepard added.

Shiala opened her mouth slightly before simply nodding. Shepard smirked, aware of the internal debate the asari must have just had about whether to protest. In the end it appeared that acceptance won, Shepard and Liara's help would find its way to the colony when needed one way or another anyway, if past experience had taught her anything.

But for now, questions of what help would be needed and when could wait. For the rest of the day Zhu's Hope's only plan was to celebrate its bright future ahead.