Dark Side of the Mind
by Mekairinek
(Elegance Liberty/Meta Ray Mek)

DISCLAIMER: All characters, places and things are ™ BioWare and EA Games. This story is for fun, not profit. In other words, I don’t own, so please don’t sue!

PREFACE: This story takes place a good while post-game. Ashley is alive after Virmire, Wrex and Tali have long since left the Normandy. Dr. Liara T’Soni is still on the ship, though she now operates her research from the Citadel. Commander Philomena ‘Philo’ Shepard is Earthborn/War Hero/Shock Trooper/Mostly Paragon with a bit of Renegade at times. Viktor Zoran is an original character, Sentinel class. Some elements of the ‘Major Kyle’ storyline have been used either verbatim or slightly exaggerated/expanded upon for story purposes only.

Also, if you are wondering why in the flashback sequences Viktor (and his family) are speaking in coherent sentences, it’s because they’re speaking to each other in Russian. Whereas with Shepard and company, he tries to speak in English. (As mentioned in ‘Tales from the Normandy’, English is NOT his first language)

Chapter 1 – Speak To Me

Orenburg, Russia, 2178 C.E.

It was a bittersweet time for the Zoran family.

Lev Zoran, the patriarch, father and husband; had just retired from working as a co-chairman at Rosenkov Materials. The business had exploded into a ‘golden age’ with their supplies being sold all across the known galaxy. Tatyana Zoran, the mother, was beginning work on a new ‘how to’ manual for gardening with alien flowers.

Their children, Anastasia, Makar and Viktor, had all gone on to accomplish many great things in their eyes. Anastasia enlisted with the Alliance Military not long after she graduated from high school, claiming that she wanted to ‘do her part’ for Earth. Makar -who had recently graduated from college-, gained employment at Rosenkov in an internship position.

Viktor, the youngest of the three, was still fresh in his tenure in the military, having been held back due to the nature of his biotic abilities. Only after getting the controversial L3-R implant just shy of 8 years prior to today, was he able to go out into the front lines. He wanted to serve on a tour of duty alongside his eldest sister, a person whom he held in high regard. He wanted to show her that he was now able to use his biotics without suffering a nervous breakdown for the first time.

But he would never get the chance.

Viktor and Anastasia had decided to take a stroll outside of the family home, long after everyone had fallen asleep. They couldn’t sleep, what with the looming return back to Arcturus hanging over both of their heads. But like most soldiers, they relished any opportunity to be at home as much as they possibly could. And as Viktor observed, Anastasia seemed to enjoy this one more than the last.

“Ana,” he said to her. “Are you scared?”

Anastasia brushed a strand of her copper hair from her face, tilting her head out of curiosity.

“Maybe a little,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

With Viktor, he could subtly tell in people what their mood might be, which often helped with his short-tempered brother and fairly over emotional mother at times. Anastasia was no different, especially since she was never the type to really show any noticeable signs of being worried at all. This greatly troubled him, but he couldn’t find a way to phrase it.

“You seemed really tense at dinner,” he began. “You didn’t really say much about what your deployment will be when we get back to Arcturus.”

He brushed away a firefly that had taken a liking to him.

“Is… Is something wrong?”

The eldest Zoran paused in her steps, not even aware that Viktor had gotten a couple feet ahead of her. Yes, she thought, I am scared. But how could she tell her baby brother, the one who looked up to her the most, that she was scared? She was in her early 30’s; she couldn’t be frightened of going back onto the battlefield. If she told him of her worry, then he would be worried too. What kind of soldiers would they be then?

Yet, she felt in her heart, he had to know of her concern. It was eating away at her the moment she learned of the assignment not that long ago.

“I… I don’t think I’ll make it out of this upcoming tour of duty alive,” she said with some hesitance.

Viktor turned around, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Sister,” he began. “Are you serious? What makes you think that?”

“I’m not sure. Something about going to Torfan after the Elysium Blitz scares me,” she wrapped her arms around her tightly, shivering from the cold. “Maybe it’s the batarians, I’m not sure. I’m still trying to blot the images of Mindoir out of my head. It’s just too much for me now.”

Walking back to her, Viktor looked up at his sister, concern flooding over him.

“I understand your worry, sister,” he tried to assure her. “But you’ll do fine. You’ll have Major Nelson as your commanding officer and Seregi as your squad leader. You will be in good hands,” he patted Anastasia on the shoulder. “Just kick some batarian behind for us and we’ll throw you huge parties come next shore leave.”

Anastasia smiled, albeit weakly.

“Thank you Viktor, I wish I had your confidence,” she then reached around her neck and pulled a blue scarf from her neck. “But now, I need you to do a favor for me.”

“What is that?”

She handed him the scarf, folding his hands over the cloth tightly. Viktor gasped, realizing that she had taken off something he had never seen her without before.

“Ana…” he began.

“If I die during this mission, please bring this to mother and father,” she instructed. “They’ll know what to do with it next. They’ve been prepared ever since I joined the military,” she could see tears well up in her brother’s eyes; tears she had not seen since before he got his L3-R implant. Anastasia grimly smiled and wiped her brother’s eyes. “Don’t cry Viktor. We’re soldiers. We are prepared for such things.”

If only that was a sentiment he could take heart in…

Citadel, Serpent Nebula, 2184 C.E. (AKA Present Day)

Dr. Liara T’Soni and several of her friends finished unloading the equipment in the fairly sterile office. There were crates upon crates filled with Prothean artifacts, data discs and some scientific equipment she had been bestowed upon by the university she had attended before the Therum dig incident. All in all, she counted about 15 crates, not counting the miscellaneous furniture from her old home that would be coming sometime over the next few days at best.

She wasn’t quite looking forward to sleeping on the floor, but such sacrifices had to be made for the sake of independent study, she resolved. Her spine would probably forgive her after her bed was set up. She did remember that one of her old acquaintances had offered to give her a bed, but Liara felt very uncomfortable accepting things without any strings attached… especially if it was from someone who didn’t exactly treat her kindly until after she became famous.

“That should be the last one,” Commander Philo Shepard said with a grunt. “Sheesh Liara, how many crates are there, anyhow? Fifty?”

Liara looked up from her datapad, unaware of what Shepard had said.

“Hm? I’m sorry, Shepard, I didn’t quite understand what you said.”

Shepard felt an eyelid twitch.

“I said,” she started, trying to keep her voice calm. “How many crates are there?”

The young asari glanced back at her datapad and then at the piles of crates that cluttered the entire open and once empty room.

“About 16, I believe,” she said pointedly, oblivious to Shepard’s irritable mood. “Though I am loathe to admit that there will be about 7 more crates coming over the next few days. All the more imperative that we get these things unpacked and properly set up in the primary rooms of the building.”

Shepard could feel her jaw drop in sheer horror. Garrus Vakarian, her turian companion, had just entered the room, clutching an omni-tool crowbar in his hand. He too had heard of the task at hand and was not enthralled in the slightest. Another human, Viktor Zoran, followed close behind with several Alliance soldiers and some of the salarian movers.

“You have to be joking,” Garrus said flatly. “There is no way we can get all of this unpacked and put together!”

For once, the asari had a very crass look about her face. As if to spite the turian, Liara mustered up her biotics and began to lift crates, stacking them on each other by organizing them by category. Shepard, Garrus and a few others watched in awe as she then opened one up and proceeded to assemble a table piece by piece, followed by another box that contained furniture like chairs and lamps.

It didn’t take all that long, but she was quickly exhausted from the effort. Wiping her brow, Liara exhaled deeply. Using her biotics was no real issue for her, though she didn’t want to cross the threshold of total exhaustion. She didn’t even see the stunned look on Shepard and Garrus’ faces, let alone the astounded salarian helpers who happened to be there as well.

“I could do it by myself, but you can see why that would be a challenge,” she explained. She then began to stumble in her step as she tried to sit down in one of the chairs she’d just assembled. “Oooohh… if you excuse me, I must sit…”

Just as Liara was about to collapse, Viktor ran up and caught her. Shepard and Garrus dashed up to their friend, hoping to see if she was alright.

“Liara, are you okay?” Shepard asked. “Do you need to see Dr. Chakwas again?”

Viktor gently sat Liara in her chair, taking great care to not to hold onto her too long. She glanced up at him, her eyes slightly blurry. All she could see was his smile, followed up what appeared to be Shepard butting in between them.

“I am fine,” she assured the commander. “Just need to rest for a bit, that’s all.”

Rubbing her chin, Shepard glanced around at the room, Liara and the others. So much to do, so little time to do it all in, she decided.

“Understood,” Shepard nodded. “While Dr. T’Soni is doing that, how does everyone feel about drinks down at Flux? I’ll buy.”

It was a universal agreement from everyone. Chatting amongst themselves, they spilled out of the office room, leaving only Liara and Viktor behind. When they all vacated, Viktor grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to the asari. He carefully sat down, taking mind not to sit so close to her. He didn’t want to intrude upon her personal space, though Ashley Williams would contest that all asari had no personal space whatsoever.

“That was an impressive show,” he said with some reluctance, as if he didn’t want her to hear his broken English. “Very impressive, indeed!”

Shooting up in her chair, Liara looked around and realized that the human was sitting next to her. Catching her breath, she wearily laughed, trying hard to not have him assume she was laughing at his struggle to speak.

“Why thank you, Viktor,” she smiled. “I normally don’t like to use my biotics for such a show, but I felt it was necessary in this case. Now that I think of it, I should have some of my associates from back home come over and assist me instead,” she cleared her throat. “No offense to you or Shepard, but I feel asari equipment is far too delicate for any other species to handle.”

He shook his head, and signaled an ‘ok’ sign to her.

“No offense taken. I understand what you mean,” said Viktor. “But I am impressed with your biotics. How are you able to do such things and not… not hurt yourself?”

Liara wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Asari, by nature, are natural biotics. They do not require implants like humans do, though they have been known to use them from time to time. She was aware of the unpredictable nature of human biotics though, having witnessed the migraines of former friend Kaidan Alenko, to the more unhinged personas of the L2 terrorists.

She was also aware of Viktor’s own complications, mostly nosebleeds if he even used something as simple as a kinetic throw. She shuddered to think of what would happen if he happened to try and lift something or create a singularity field.

“Don’t you know? My people have natural abilities, we’re able to adapt and control them faster. Not that I’m trying to sound… smug, I think, but I just…” she stopped midsentence. “I am sorry, that was too indelicate. Please forgive me!”

“Ha, ha! You see, I wish I could be strong like you,” Viktor confessed. “Move furniture around like this and throw annoying person aside like that,” he wiggled his fingers to illustrate his point, causing Liara to giggle slightly. “Only I would not get woozy or bloody nose, stuff like that.”

Liara felt a twinge of sadness for the human. How unfortunate it was for him to not be able to use his biotic powers to the fullest! And worse yet, he didn’t even seem to care or mind all that much about it. At least, that’s what she could tell from conversations with him onboard the Normandy. Liara wasn’t quite sure why he was so lax and nebulous about not using his abilities to their fullest potential. If he were to do that, then perhaps he would make a fine assistant in her Prothean research.

“Well anyhow, I must be going,” he stood up, bowed before her and proceeded to exit the office. “Let me know I may be of assistance further. Thank you for your time, Doctor.”

Although she was somewhat keen to his own history, Liara decided that one way or another, she would find out the truth, so that maybe, just maybe she could help him. She didn’t really know too much about him, other than the fact he had come onto the Normandy along with several others about half a year ago.

But before any of that could be done, Liara decided it best to help herself first, as not all of this equipment would unpack itself. She would simply leave the heavier lifting to others.