Matriarch Livia N'Sen reclined at the edge of the slow and serene river, as the setting star Tasale warmed her with its fading rays despite the cool evening wind. Taking a leisurely sip from her wineglass , she rolled the fluid over her tongue before leaning over to plant the base of the glass into the warm sand. Her luxurious private cabin at the edge of the forest behind her beckoned with the promise of a final restful sleep before she would make her return to Thessia. Owning property this remote, in this region of Ilium was incredibly expensive, but eight hundred years of connections and sound investments made such things trivial. If one wanted absolute privacy, she accepted that one must pay for it.

"Matriarch Livia."

With a jolt, the elder asari jumped to her feet and wheeled on the intruder, biotics flaring to life. There was a young asari maiden in a casual white courier uniform, a small vest over a simple shirt, and shorts that ended just above the knee. Her shapely legs were bare, as were her feet, and beyond her Livia saw her removed sandals on the walkway. She displayed the laughable nod to recent human influence, tattooed false eyebrows the young ones often bore these days.

"This is private property. Explain yourself, child.", she declared angrily.

"I apologize for my rudeness. I assure you it is borne from urgency alone, and once I take a bit of your time, I shall be on my way. The information I offer may, in fact, save your own life as well as many others. Perhaps you'd like to dress before we converse." The young asari cast her eyes down in utmost politeness.

N'Sen glanced down at her own nudity for but a moment before taking up her white silky robe and putting it on, knotting it tightly at the waist in irritation. "How did you find me? Nobody knows I come here, my ownership of this estate is a secret I paid dearly for."

"And it is beautiful here." The young maiden cast her eyes across the wide, slow river; into the colors of the setting sun. "You must be cautious. In this region, at this time of year, there is a gelatinous sea-life active here with a paralytic toxin..."

"Child, I have owned this property for eighty years, I'm well aware of the local points of interest. Get on with it."

The younger asari bowed slightly. "As I said, the urgency is high, so no expense was spared in undoing your privacy in this matter, I must confess. I wish only to provide information to you, if you would be so kind as to accept it. Very soon you are delivering the results of your private think-tank inquiry to the Asari Republic as your recommendation."

"I am. And they will listen, for my interest group is significant in influence." Matriarch N'Sen's chin lifted as she spoke, to peer down her nose at the maiden; she was well used to being treated with deference.

"Indeed, I would agree. It will be your recommendation, in regards to the theory of the extinction of the protheans being caused by an intelligent, synthetic starships known as the Reapers is a falsity. Any investments, research, and preparations for the arrival of such a hypothetical invasion force is a waste of all resources." The young asari's eyes were still downcast demurely.

"How did you...? Yes, of course. Supernatural space monsters are not the way of things, let's not be ridiculous. Is this really what you've come to discuss?"

"What I have here..." the young asari held up her datapad "is my combined collections of my own work, as well as evidence gained firsthand in the field with one Commander Shepard even as we speak, condensed by one Mordin Solis; older data acquired or stolen from sources as diverse as the STG, Cerberus, and Alliance Intell..."

Livia's eyes narrowed. "Doctor. Liara. T'Soni. I thought you looked familiar. Are you still going on in your pathetic campaign to clear your mother's name? She was a traitor to our people, and a pureblood breeder while she was at it. Producing a shameful little embarrassment such as yourself to salt the wounds her actions caused us all."

Her demure act cast aside, Liara's eyes came up and met evenly with Matriarch Livia's. "You have interests in many corporations that deal in primarily high-wealth and luxury demographics. One could argue that even the slightest shift in spending towards a war economy would be detrimental to your bottom line. It would be profitable for you to dismiss the existence of the Reapers in favor of supporting the Council line of strictly geth-related enemy forces in cooperation with the leadership of Saren, the Citadel attack, and vanishing colonies. Every month of denials can potentially add millions of credits into your accounts."

"Go back to your hole, pureblood. Or you'll die here and be fed to the local animals."

"My research is real. At the risk of sounding immodest, this information in this datapad...may in fact be the most important single collection of knowledge in existence at this very moment. We stand on the cusp of losing entire civilizations. I will accept your insults if it will contribute to saving our people. Will you even examine this? Will you consider the contents fairly?" Liara held out the datapad with her left hand, extended to the wealthy matriarch.

"I will not. I won't ask you again to leave." The matriarch's eyes glowed with biotic power, and she braced herself for the using of it.

Even as the young asari shook her head sadly, and pulled the datapad back to her chest, she stepped closer. "Very well. You are free to decide as you wish." Her eyes moved down to the base of the recliner in the sand. "You've spilled your wine."

Matriarch Livia's face pinched in confusion, and followed her eyes to her wine glass in the sand. It was still standing as before, vertical and partially full. Even as a spark of alarm surged through her, a sharp pain erupted in the side of her neck. She clapped her hand to the area, only to find her covering Liara's own, the end of a pen-like item being gripped there. A syringe, she thought, even as her body numbed and her knees gave way. Liara casually dropped the datapad, and gently lowered the Matriarch to the sand at the water's edge, her free hand holding her at the small of the back.

"Matriarch Livia..." Liara's voice had lost all sense of politeness or deference even as she cradled the matriarch's head genty. "You demanded that I explain myself, so I shall. I spoke truth when I said the information I brought today may save your life. You only needed to cease your self-interest and look upon it objectively. Unfortunately, you chose the path I expected of you. It would have been quite refreshing to see you choose to serve your people, rather then milk them of credits for your own gain, as you have for your entire life."

Livia's lips moved as she tried to speak, but no sound emerged other then shapeless breaths. "Don't bother. The paralysis is nearly instant." Liara held up the empty syringe in front of herself, as if admiring its qualities. The young maiden's eyes were almost sad, but contained no lack of resolve as she tucked the empty syringe back into a vest pocket. "Do you recall the toxin I mentioned, from the sea-life in this area? It is possible to acquire that same toxin if you know the right people, and are willing to look past such small barriers such as law and morality."

"Did you know, also, that on average, seventeen asari and nearly forty alien tourists perish annually from downing induced by paralysis in this same manner? Mostly the young, sadly, who ignore the posted public warnings and the like. Still, as humans would say, accidents happen. Especially, as the statistics indicate, when alcohol is involved." Liara picked up the nearly-full bottle of wine from the sand, and poured it into the river's edge. She watched it disperse into the pristine, slow-moving water.

"In three days, I will simulate a malfunction in your cabin's security system. When your security contractor responds, I'll leave just enough evidence that they'll know you were still here when you went missing, and I'm certain your body will be found. I will not leave your family without closure, do not be concerned of that."

Gently, Liara twisted her limp victim's head so that their eyes could meet. The smooth innocence of youth in her face contrasted her deadly, unemotional words."In a way, Livia, I've done you a tremendous kindness. I'm doing all I can to prepare us. Clearly, I'm willing to kill to save lives. I learned the sense of that paradox though Commander Shepard, you know. He has killed thousands to save uncounted millions, even as most of them will never know. It makes a perverse kind of absolute sense even as it weighs on him greatly." With clinical detachment, she undid the matriarch's robe before gathering her body up in her arms again.

"It pains me to say this, it honestly does, because I know it will never be enough. When the Reapers come, I expect planets to fall. I expect billions will die. I expect some civilizations to be either wiped away or to be so thoroughly decimated that they will cease to have a functional culture. You will be spared the sight of these times to come. If you're asking yourself why I have done this personally, I admit it is a task I normally assign to one of my wet teams. However, it is a coward who would only ask of others what they cannot do themselves, don't you agree?"

With surprising strength, the information broker stood, lifting the nude matriarch in her arms and walking into the river until the cool water reached her calves. For a brief moment, a self-mocking smile touched Liara's lips. "I'm sure by now, you're willing to get this over with just to be free of my voice. I want to add one more thing, if you'll indulge me."

Liara knelt in just enough water that the matriarch was able to float limply. She leaned out over her, putting her face over and close to Livia's, and spoke in a hushed tone that was barely over a whisper.

"Your refusal to see the truth I freely offer, to save your own people? The hateful, bigoted words you used against me? I have to thank you. I've been planning your death for several weeks, it has been...stressful for me. I've killed many times, usually in the field of combat with my courageous, heroic, beautiful friends from the Normandy. I doubt you would understand what they mean to me. I witnessed things with them I cannot even describe with the emptiness of words."

"I could meld with you, I suppose, to show you the things I've shared with them, but that is precious to me and I would never honor one such as you with that greatest gift. It was difficult and terrifying at times, but emotionally it didn't bother me in the same way this has. I will be candid; I dreaded coming here, the guilt of an action I'd not even committed yet was heavy. But today, Matriarch Livia N'Sen? You've made it so much easier."

Liara rolled the paralyzed elder asari over to be face-down in the water, and gently pushed her away from the shore.