Just to reassure everyone - yes, there is a deliberate break in continuity at the beginning.

If you're coming to this chapter immediately after chapter 9 of Connections, you're fine, and you're in the right place.

If you're new to Sarah and Liara's narrative, this is the 7th story of the Cari'ssi'mi series.

Thank you for reading!

The sun was hot on her skin.

It was truly a beautiful day. The air was warm and deliciously humid, with exactly the right hint of breeze. There was just enough moisture in the air to keep her from feeling too dry from so much running, while not being so cloying that her crest had difficulty radiating away any heat she built up.

She had been doing very well, one of her best showings all season. There were only minutes left in in the fifth period, and with only one more period to go the coach had yet to rotate her out.

She had never expected something like this could happen to her. Even now, after she had progressed so far, she still found it difficult to believe. She had never even played before coming to Serrice, had never expected to play at Serrice.

She glanced back at Carvkae, her anchor, running a few steps behind her. She was the one who had started all this, by torturing her in the quinrangle. Carvkae had just become a junior at the time, and she had been showing off that day. The muscular maiden had started by holding a skyball in a biotic hold and daring other students to try to get it away from her. When none succeeded, she started assailing some of the spectating students with the skyball, smacking them with it and biotically pulling it back before the unfortunate student could seize it.

Carvkae had assembled quite an audience by the time Liara had arrived. Other students were cheering, chanting, inciting Carvkae to continue, to attempt more outlandish maneuvers at the expense of any unlucky victims she selected. Liara had just rolled her eyes. She had no time for this, no interest in such juvenile behavior. Her only immediate concern was that this wonton display was between her and the library. All she wanted to do was cross the Quin in peace so she would get back to studying.

It was with that mindset, that annoyance in her stance and on her face that she broke through the inner ring of spectators. It was there, with her armload of data pads and exasperated expression that she first saw Carvkae.

Carvkae responded first, with a powerful biotic pitch, firing the skyball directly at the smaller maiden. If anything, Liara acted even faster, dropping her pads even as Carvkae had made eye contact with her. The ball sped towards her, accelerating en route under the massive biotic thrust from Carvkae. The crowd roared as Liara brought up her hands as if to block...

And caught it.

The crowd fell silent. This hadn't been the first time Carvkae had held one her her little demonstrations. Those unlucky enough to draw her attention were fortunate if they escaped with only one bruise. Such occurrences were something the university administration had proven willing to overlook when it happened by the hands of the best midfield anchor Serrice had seen in over a century. No one had ever risen to meet Carvkae's challenge. Certainly never a bookish, nerdy looking maiden dressed in the style of someone 300 years older than her.

Carvkae's countenance hardened. She advanced a pair of steps toward Liara, expecting the maiden to return the ball, or perhaps just drop it and flee. Liara stood her ground. As those few who knew her could have told Carvkae, Liara was easy to underestimate. The young maiden may not be large, she may not be loud, but she was tenacious. Some might say that she could be tenacious to the point of being her own undoing.

When Carvkae saw that she couldn't intimate Liara into returning the tool of her assault, she instead prepared her biotics to yank it away. She let her biotics crackle along her arms, showing off, demonstrating their power to Liara. Liara didn't flare her biotics in return. She wasn't foolish enough for that. She was well aware that had she attempted to hold the ball biotically, the resulting explosion when their powers combined could have thrown her halfway across the Quin.

Instead she was ready then Carvkae's biotics grabbed the ball and tried to pull it away from her. Liara staggered half a step forward, but held the ball as well as her dignity. Stalemate. Liara's eyes were shining with challenge when Carvkae prepared herself to try again. This time there was no gaudy display of power, no garish light show. Dark energy barely whisped around Carvkae's arms as she built up her power, as she saved everything she could for the pull itself. When her power finally tore itself free from her arms, rushing across the distance to the ball, the older maiden felt a surge of victory as she sensed the ball vaulting skyward.

Carvkae turned to her audience, ready to bathe in their accolades. She found her fellow students looking upward, open mouthed.

When Carvkae turned to follow their gaze, instead of seeing the skyball falling freely to the ground, it was sinking slowly, still in the arms of the annoying maiden! Liara had never released the orb, even as she was catapulted into the air. She now landed lightly on her feet, still holding the skyball.

Liara herself was astounded that she hadn't let go, even though she knew why she hadn't. The easiest way to manipulate Liara into doing something was to inform her that she was incapable of it, or otherwise try to force her not to. The look on the other student's face, the way that she had tried to dominate her, was something that Liara was unable to allow to pass unchallenged. Liara was quiet and restrained, easy to overlook. She might never deliberately provoke another, but she also knew the dangers of not standing up for herself when confronted.

At this point Liara was willing to consider her point made. She would release the ball to Carvkae, having made it clear that she was doing so of her own free will, on her own terms. She had not done so because she had been intimidated or bullied. However, even before she could do so much as open her hands, Carvkae was upon her.

The larger maiden grabbed her by the wrist, the purple hand dwarfing Liara's own. Even as she looked down at Liara, her eyes were wild, her tone almost frantic. "Who are you? Where do you play?"

"Sorry?" Liara was confused by the unexpected line of questioning.

"Where are you from? Where have you played? Are you planning to go to school here?"

Liara straightened herself to her full height, still dwarfed by the larger Asari. "I have not 'played' anywhere, and I already attend the university. In fact, I am nearing the end of my third year."

Carvkae looked thoughtful. "Hmm... still a freshman. And you've never played?"

Liara equivocated. "At home, with family. Never on a team."

"Must be some family. Any more at home like you?"

"I am an only child." Nothing unusual about that, at least.

"Come on then." The larger maiden set a brisk pace towards the athletic compound dragging the resistant freshman behind her.

Liara tried to break free. If she was even remotely inconveniencing the larger Asari, she gave no sign. "Let me go! Where are you taking me? What about my studies?"

Carvkae called back over her shoulder, "Someone pick up her stuff, and bring it to Coach Maeor's office!" Considering the only possible objection solved, she increased her pace.

The larger maiden radiated excitement as she looked back at Liara, who was struggling to stay on her feet as she was dragged along like a toy. "I'm Carvkae. What's your name?"

Liara allowed an angry glare to be her reply as she struggled to keep her footing.

Despite Liara's lack of response, Carvkae kept a rapid fire dialog. "What you did back there was incredible. No one's ever been able to hold onto the ball when I have time to brace myself. You're so tiny! I didn't even realize I'd thrown you! You're going to make a fabulous midwing. Are you sure you've never played? Maybe the municipal league?" She shook her head. "No, you couldn't have. I know everyone in Serrice who would ever have a chance of making the team. You'd stand out among the dregs on the muni teams." She looked over her shoulder, "Are you even from Serrice? Maybe Dassus or Kendra Ocean? Lots of good players have come out of Kendra. Esuulna herself came from Kendra. Wait, that was an Armali accent wasn't it? You're from Armali? They never make the playoffs!." For the first time doubt crossed her face. "No wonder you came to Serrice," she continued, completely missing the point that Liara had never even been to a skyball game, let alone tried out for the team. "Your talent would be wasted in Armali! You're going to learn so much from Coach Maeor! She was the very first..."

Liara never heard what Coach Maeor had been the first to do. Carvkae's discourse was cut short by their arrival at the athletic compound. Carvkae crashed through the double doors, and continued her brisk pace down the wide hall, finally turning down a passageway labeled "Administration".

The last door was larger than the others, made of knotted zelana wood, embossed with Maeor's name. Carvkae threw the door open without breaking stride, and pulled Liara around in front of her so hard that the smaller maiden had to stop herself against the coach's desk.

"Coach!" Carvkae exclaimed, "I found someone to replace Ralith!"

The matriarch behind the desk had never even looked up from her work, obviously used to such exuberance from her athletes. "Hello Carvkae. Just yesterday you were complaining that no one could ever replace Ralith, and that we might as well give up on the season."

"That was before I met..." Carvkae hesitated. "What is your name?"

"Liara," replied Liara in a quiet voice, already planning the fastest way to escape this surreal situation.

"That was before I met Liara!" concluded Carvkae victoriously.

That exchange had finally piqued the matriarch's interest. There was obviously a story here, albeit most likely not one that she was going to want to hear.

She looked the small maiden over. Liara had pushed back from the desk. Her chest was heaving, and she was standing with her back rigidly straight, chin out, eyes defiant but shifty. 'Goddess, the poor thing is obviously terrified. Carvkae, what have you done now?' she wondered.

Maeor decided to give this Liara a moment to calm down and compose herself. She sat back in her chair and steepled her fingers. She looked beyond the smaller maiden and addressed her star anchor. "What's going on here? Why did you just practically throw one of your fellow students at me?"

"That's exactly it coach!" replied Carvkae, missing the point of Maeor's tone and demeanor completely. "I did throw her! I sent her nearly 40 meters* straight up! She was completely unprepared, but she still never let go of the ball!"

Maeor closed her eyes for a moment. Sometimes it seemed certain athletes were almost aggressively ignorant of social norms. She slowly addressed the anchor. "Carvkae, what in the world make you think it was acceptable to throw one of your classmates?"

"She wouldn't let go of my ball!"

Maeor cocked her head as she turned to Liara. "How did you get her ball?"

"Matriarch, she tried to hit me with it."

And now back to Carvkae. "You tried to hit her with it?"

"Exactly! I gave it everything I had! It should have blown her out of her boots, but she caught it!" Carvkae was still caught up in the result of the altercation, giving no thought to the fact that she was incriminating herself.

Maeor sighed. "Carvkae could you please go wait in the training center? I would like to talk to your classmate."

"Yes Coach!" Carvkae turned and practically sprinted from the room, radiating joy that she had apparently identified a replacement teammate for the one she'd recently lost to an Eclipse recruiter.

Maeor focused her attention on Liara. The maiden was obviously more at ease with Carvkae out of her proximity, and met the matriarch's gaze unflinchingly.

"Are you all right?"

The maiden's tone was cold. "I am fine Matriarch, given that in the last fifteen minutes I've been both assaulted and brought here against my will."

Maeor took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about that. Carvkae has a certain eagerness about her."

"She should be expelled!"

"Perhaps. She's under a lot of pressure. She's expected to lead Serrice to our first championship in five decades, and a significant part of her strategy to do so quit the team a few weeks ago."

"That is not my problem Matriarch. Nor does it give her the right to try to throw me halfway across the Quin."

"You're right, of course."

"You will take action then?"

"I'd like to talk about you first, if I may... Liara, isn't it?"

Liara looked nervous at the change in the conversation. "Yes, Matriarch."

Maeor smiled to herself, 'So formal!' The matriarch decided to act on a hunch. 'Let us see where this takes us.' She stood and brought her hands together. "I am Matriarch Maeor Iallina," she began in High Attena, "I greet you Maiden Liara..."

Liara blew out the breath she was holding. 'Nothing I can do now.' "T'Soni, Matriarch," she replied in the same stilted dialect. "I am Liara T'Soni, and I am honored to accept your greeting, Matriarch Maeor." Liara performed lidifemea, and then looked down at her boots, waiting for what would happen next.

"Enough of that then." She sat back down as she smiled at the maiden. "I can't remember the last time I had a student respond with the affamen upon a first meeting. Usually new students are just back from a stint as mercenaries or working in the hospitality trade," Maeor used a polite euphemism. "I'm lucky if I can get them to string a coherent sentence together until their fifth or sixth year." She peered at the maiden. "You are a student at the university, yes?"

"I am, Matriarch. I am just shy of completing my third year." Liara still didn't look up.

'Nine years to go, if Carvkae actually has her wits about her, unless...' "I didn't realize that there were any T'Sonis in Serrice."

Liara sighed. "I am not from Serrice, Matriarch. I come from Armali."

Maeor was genuinely surprised. "Armali? You're Benezia's daughter? What are you doing in Serrice? Not to run down my own alma mater, but the university at Armali has a business program that is far superior to the one here in Serrice," She paused, not understanding the situation. "Surely your mother could have intervened on your behalf to get you into Armali, no matter what your test scores."

Offense showed both on Liara's face and in her voice. "I am not attending the College of Social Sciences, Matriarch. I'm enrolled in the Sulilta College of Archaeology."

'At least 30 more years,' thought Maeor. "You're on a doctoral track then? The Archaeology Department doesn't admit applicants whose final objective is an undergraduate or master's degree." 'There's more to this maiden than meets the eye. The competition for admittance into Sulilta's department is fierce.'

"Yes, Matriarch. I am on the track for a doctorate in xenoarchaeology." Liara's earlier challenging tone softened, but had not left her entirely.

"At least now I understand why you're at Serrice. Doctor Sulilta is a leader in her field. You're what, barely one hundred? Did Benezia have to offer an endowment?"

Anger again flashed in Liara's eyes as she was unable to contain herself no longer. "My mother did not have to bribe Doctor Sulilta to gain my acceptance into the program, Matriarch! My test scores are exemplary! I have a full scholarship, and in addition to performing clerical work for Doctor Sulilta, she has taken me into the field over both summers since I enrolled!" She paused before continuing in a softer tone, "And I am 49."

'She's on her own and she's practically a baby. I wonder if she knows what she's revealing,' thought Maeor. "You're here on a scholarship? At 49?"

"I am, Matriarch." Liara's eyes belied her indignation at the matriarch's incredulous response.

"And you're clerking for Sulilta? And not going home over the summers?"

"That... is correct, Matriarch." Liara knew that she was missing something in the matriarch's line of questioning, but she wasn't certain what.

"May I assume then that Lady Benezia does not approve of your career path?"

Liara briefly closed her eyes. 'Well, now I know.' "She does not. My mother would have preferred that I either follow her into politics or perhaps economics." 'Let the matriarch make of that what she will,' thought Liara. 'It is no more than the truth.'

Maeor smiled again as she stood up. "Would you like to take a walk with me Liara?"

"I need to get back to my studies..." started the maiden.

"I promise not to keep you, Liara. I think we can help each other." The matriarch walked across her office to a door that led outside. She opened it, and held it while looking expectantly at Liara. "Coming?"

"Yes, Matriarch." Liara stood to follow Maeor and was not surprised to discover that the coach's other door opened onto the skyball practice field.

The pair walked out onto the field in silence. The warm air of spring just starting to cool in the late afternoon.

"Do you know much about skyball, Liara?"

"I am of course familiar with the game, Matriarch."

Maeor chuckled. "It has become our planetary pastime, hasn't it? Carvkae seems to think that you have a great deal of aptitude for it."

"She only thinks that because I refused to allow her to intimidate me."

"That's quite a statement you know. She can be very intimidating, both on and off the field. She seemed to take quite the liking to you though. In fact, I can see her watching us through the windows."

Liara refused to turn around to look. "I am not interested in playing skyball, Matriarch."

"I haven't asked you to."

"Then why am I here?"

"Carvkae said you caught the skyball when she threw it at you."

"I did, Matriarch."

"Do you think that's at all unusual? I do. Carvkae has a very powerful pitch."

Liara was silent for a few moments. "I have had training, Matriarch."

"In skyball? That seems odd for a member of a Great House."

"Deproelior."

Maeor's expression showed her surprise. "Deproelior? Really? What level have you reached?"

"Eleventh."

"Impressive. Did your mother expect that you would spend time as a commando?"

"She expected that I would be able to defend myself."

"Benezia does follow all the traditional forms, doesn't she?"

Liara chose not to answer, as they continued to make another turn around the field.

They walked in silence for a time, and Parnitha was almost to the horizon when the matriarch continued. "How many physical education requirements have you met Liara?"

"None, Matriarch."

"Why not?"

"I am holding them in reserve, Matriarch. They seem an appropriate fallback for when I am unable to secure classes required by my major, or perhaps if Doctor Sulilta doesn't need me at a dig site over a summer."

"You're living on campus?"

"Tuition, books, and lab materials are included under the terms of my scholarship. So is housing and food."

"Housing and food wouldn't be covered over the summer. Nor are incidentals and discretionary funds provided by an academic scholarship. That's likely another reason that you're willing to volunteer for summer work."

"It is a privilege to go into the field with Doctor Sulilta."

"I'm sure. I'm also sure that you have to get creative financially if I'm correct in my suspicion that you aren't receiving any support from home."

The matriarch took Liara's return to silence as confirmation.

"What would you think about an additional scholarship? An athletic scholarship in addition to your academic one?

"I would be unwilling to risk my perfect marks for a sport, Matriarch. Even if it could assist me financially."

"You shouldn't have to risk anything. Playing on a university team will meet your physical education requirements, which you're already behind on. That's some time and credit hours taken care of. The additional funds provided should preclude the need of having to work in the Archaeology Department to supplement your academic scholarship. That's more time freed for studying. You'll still be able to accompany Doctor Sulilta over the summers if you and she desire."

"You make the assumption that I will have some degree of success if I choose to play."

"Well, I wouldn't be able to keep you on a scholarship if you're too poor a player. Still, based on Carvkae's description I can commit to you that I will provide a stipend and academic credit, even if you only come out and practice with the squad throughout your undergraduate study."

Liara thought about the offer. Normally she would dismiss it out of hand, but there was a certain appeal to the scenario Matriarch Maeor described. Liara was mildly embarrassed about her financial status, and suspected that Doctor Sulilta gave her clerical work to do as much out of pity as actual need. She did need to meet her physical education requirements. Having a little spending money wouldn't hurt either. She didn't need much, but she had been wishing she could afford a new omni-tool...

She looked around with a start. Although the matriarch had stopped, Liara had kept walking, lost in thought as she considered the offer. She felt herself blushing all the way to her crest as she turned and walked back to Maeor.

That was how that the next time Shiala had come to Serrice and met her for lunch, the matron was holding a holo of the embarrassed maiden from the team roster's photo shoot. Liara had been holding a skyball under one arm, dressed in the Serrice yellow tank top and shorts, wearing a smile she hadn't felt. Shiala promised to come to every game she could, but made no mention of any reaction back at the estate.

'Oh well', Liara considered the memory as she continued her sprint across midfield, 'At least the uniform is yellow. If I had gone to school in Armali, they would be blue and I would look ridiculous.' So completely had her perception changed that she never considered that if she had gone to school in Armali, the likelihood was near zero that should have been on the skyball team.

The Majesa sweeper had launched the ball in a high arc over the field. If it made it to the ground, it was going to come down just on the Majesa side of the midfield line where the Majesa striker was ready for it. Both Serrice guards were out of position. That was all right. Midfield was Liara's. As the midwing, fully 50% of the field was her position, the quarterwing and fullwing being restricted to the forward and rear quarters for the field respectively.

The ball had just reached the apex of the arc when Liara threw her arms up into the air, signaling to her anchor that she was ready. Carvkae responded instantly, enveloping Liara in her biotics, and catapulting her skyward where she caught the ball before it had fallen even 2 meters. Liara spun herself in the air, building momentum that she imparted to the ball as she fired it to a point directly in front of the Serrice forward, placing her in scoring position.

The forward had just begun to advance on the Majesa oval, using a combination of footwork and biotics (only wings could use their hands, and even then only when in the air) when out of nowhere an explosion rocked the Serrice side of the arena.

Liara jerked her head around at the sound, even as the lack of focus made her land awkwardly. There was a hole blown in the stands. Members of the crowd were screaming, with some people running away and others running towards the commotion.

Liara was one of the latter. She'd barely made it thirty meters when the screams intensified, and she saw Geth pouring out of the hole. The Geth were shooting into the crowd, killing and wounding hundreds of Asari. Many fought back with biotics, but the average citizen was no match for a fully armed Geth.

Off to her left, Liara saw that someone in the crowd was armed. Pistol fire was interspersed with biotics as someone was attacking the Geth, trying to create a hole in the attacking line for the crowd to escape through.

Liara ran towards the shooter, thinking that perhaps she could assist. As she reached the stands and started up, she realized the recognized the gunner. 'Shepard! Thank the Goddess!' She redoubled her efforts to climb to join Shepard's position halfway up the stands.

"Liara!" Shepard's yell caught her by surprise. The Human was still at least 20 meters away, but looking past her. Suddenly the left side of her torso was engulfed in agony. She spun around to see the Geth trooper that had grazed her with an almost miss. She used her biotics to blow it all the way down to the field, and turned back to Shepard who was coming down to her.

She was finding it challenging to climb, the pain difficult to overcome. Where was Shepard? She couldn't see her. She took a deep breath to yell and the the pain intensified like a spike had been driven into her side. Her vision swam.

Her left hand flew to her side as she sat up in the bed. The pain was sharp, but fading quickly. She looked down at her hand, expecting it to be soaked in purple blood, and was shocked to see that it wasn't...

Blue. It wasn't blue.

Sarah's world spun as she adjusted. 'I'm Sarah Shepard. I'm Sarah Shepard.' She looked around. She was in a hospital bed. It was obviously night, with the lights dim. The area under her hand was heavily bandaged. 'I must have actually cracked those ribs this time,' she thought, remembering the pain. She looked to her right, and saw that she was being given some intravenous treatment regimen. Just beyond the medical monitors and other equipment was Liara, asleep in a chair. 'Thank the Goddess,' she thought ironically.

The maiden didn't look comfortable, curled into a cramped position. A dramatic amount of eye movement was visible under the maiden's closed lids.

"Liara," Shepard called out quietly. Sarah had some idea as to the nature of the young doctor's nightmare. When the fitful Asari didn't wake, she tried again, louder this time. "Liara!"

"Shepard!" The scientist woke with a start. Liara was at Sarah's side in an instant, holding her hand and running her fingers through Shepard's bangs. "You're awake! You're all right!" Tears were streaming down her blue cheeks even as the leaned in for a brief kiss.

"I think so. Looks like I took some damage though. How long was I out? Where is..."

Just as Shepard was about to ask Liara about the status of the Normandy and her crew, she was interrupted by the arrival of a Turian nurse.

"Enough of that now, Commander. You need to get more rest." He walked over to the medication controls. "You two can catch up in the morning. Now that you're able to wake up on your own, I'm going to sedate you right back to sleep for the time being - doctor's orders." He turned back to the bed. "Dr. Chakwas is attending. I'll let her know that you woke up, and she'll be here to evaluate you in the morning. Goodnight Commander." The nurse then asked Liara if she needed anything. When the Asari responded in the negative, the nurse proceeded to leave the room, closing the door behind him.

Shepard could already feel her eyelids getting heavy. She looked up at Liara dreamily. "See you soon?"

"I am not going anywhere Shepard."

Sarah laughed, even as consciousness was slipping away. "Shiala was right."

"Oh?"

"You were a fantastic skyball player." She smiled at the memory as she was falling asleep.

The last thing she heard was "Wait, what?"

*The Asari haven't met humans yet, but we'll go ahead and translate units of measurement anyway.

A/N: Assumptions here include:
FemShep/Liara (Finally)
End of ME1 - after the Battle of the Citadel, and this is the 7th story of the Cari'ssi'mi series (Sorry, it probably makes sense to at least read Obligations through Connections first)

Shepard is:
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.