A/N: This is the sequel to "In Love and War". It starts from right after the Normandy SR1's destruction and covers the two years while Shepard's gone, her resurrection and ME 2 timeline. It features mainly Aethyta, Liara and some of the SR1 crew until Shepard's resurrection. It'll include all ME 2 game characters and many more OCs. Bioware owns the rights.
Second Life
Chapter One – Thessia
The Grand Matriarch was having a party later for her 1000th birthday. It'd involve a trip to the temple to thank the Goddess for giving life and for the grace of longevity. Then there would be a simple dinner – simple in the food that would be served, but certainly not small in quantity. The Grand Matriarch had many acolytes, friends and family who wished to witness this monumental moment in her life. Turning a thousand-year old was a significant event in any asari's life, but as a Grand Matriarch, there were traditions to uphold and ceremonies that had been passed down from generation to generation. A thousand years! Goddess, has it really been that long? She stared at the skyline through the large window of her private chambers that were situated on the top floor of the administration building.
The large door opened, an asari matron who was one of the Grand Matriarch's sentinels announced, "Grand Matriarch, your guests are here." The sentinel took a quick step to the side and ushered in two asari matriarchs and shut the door behind them.
"Congratulations, Malayne! May this be a glorious day for you and for all of us who hold you dear in our hearts." Matriarch Jamaya bowed her head slightly, extending a gesture of respect.
"Oh, cut the crap, Jammi!" Matriarch Aethyta gave her companion a dismissive look. "We're all old friends here." She turned to the Grand Matriarch. "Happy birthday, kiddo!" She produced a small gift box, "Not that you need more jewelry, but Jammi and I picked out this for you today. You gotta have something to remember your 1000th by." The truth was the Grand Matriarch's friends knew that she didn't have a bondmate to perform this part of the celebration ritual with her and this was their way of claiming that task later at the temple.
"Jamaya, Aethyta, you're very thoughtful. Please come." Malayne walked gracefully to meet her oldest friends and took each of their hands in her own and led them to her large round sofa. She returned to her elegant glass desk and brought tea on a platter her acolytes had prepared for them earlier and set it down on the table in front of the sofa.
"You both know how much I hate birthday celebrations. They become cumbersome after the first five hundred. I'm grateful that you're both here to help me through this day." She poured tea for her guests. "I wish Benezia were here."
Casting a quick glance at her friends, Malayne knew that they all missed their old friend, Matriarch Benezia, but for different reasons.
Malayne and Benezia had shared the Grand Matriarch title for nearly a century. In many ways, Malayne had more in common with Benezia than Aethyta ever did. They both came from opulent families and they were both bred to be the leaders of their people. But Benezia had had something Malayne wished she had. Fire. Perhaps it was because the wars Benezia had experienced first hand that forged her intensity; the wars that Malayne somehow stayed away from. Or perhaps it was because Benezia had met Aethyta who seemed to lead a double life, one an asari and another one, a krogan.
I'll bet she set Nezzy's heart on fire. Malayne had always thought.
"How's our kid?" The Grand Matriarch asked, sipping her tea. She adopted Aethyta's way of talking when they conversed, as she found it difficult to be pompous around the half-krogan.
Aethyta put down her teacup and sighed heavily. "Seems very lost. I watched her on the Citadel after the Normandy was destroyed, I... I almost walked up to her and gave her a hug." Her voice was a little uneven, so she stopped talking. But Aethyta's mind saw Liara's face clearly.
Jamaya exclaimed, "You didn't tell her, did you? You know what Benezia wished."
"Cool your knickers, Jammi. Of course I didn't talk to her. You don't have to tell me what Nezzy wanted, okay? Besides, the kid doesn't know me from a hole in the ground." She cleared her throat. "But the way she acted… It felt like a varren had chewed my heart into pieces. The kid wandered around the Citadel like she had no idea what she was doing. One day she visited this human restaurant and talked with a waiter for an hour, another day she spent all day in an arena where humans roll around on wheeled shoes. She laughed when the humans fought each other in the arena and cried when they rolled around in circles to some crappy slow music. I just don't know what to do with her." Aethyta picked up her tea again trying to sooth her voice.
"You think she was in love with that human Spectre?" Malayne asked carefully.
"From the looks of it, yes. I don't like humans, but that one, that one's got a quad. The way she defended Nezzy in front of the Council? I'd buy her a drink if she didn't die so damn suddenly. Humans live such a short life as is!" Aethyta snorted.
Malayne had to hold her amusement to herself. She'd always had different views from Aethyta's. Benezia used to argue that fighting was never the answer because it'd only lead to more fighting. Building alliances was what both Benezia and Malayne believed in, but Aethyta always wanted to stand up and fight. In a way Malayne admired Aethyta who didn't give an ounce of dark energy what everyone else thought or wanted. The half-krogan believed the asari needed to take the lead in doing grander things such as building their own Mass Relays and amassing a fleet of ships that were equal to the Destiny Ascension. While Malayne and Benezia had steered the asari government towards a more diplomatic path in the past, perhaps Aethyta would be more suited to lead in the future if the Reaper threat turned out to be real.
We'll need someone who can fight and someone who wants to fight. Malayne was convinced of that.
The Grand Matriarch gave her friends a quick glance and stood up. She took an OSD from her desk and handed it to Aethyta. "Jamaya and I have devised a plan. We're setting up an underground camp on Tuchanka and recruiting everyone we can to prepare. You're half-krogan, Thyta. We need you to lead this project."
Aethyta's eyes widened as she looked over the datapad. "So the Reapers are real!"
Jamaya chimed in. "We're not a hundred percent certain. But it's too big of a risk to ignore the possibility. And the Council is doing nothing, so we must step in and do something. I've set the logistics in motion and this will be the largest undertaking we've ever planned." Jamaya was the best administrator anyone had seen in a thousand years. She rarely had original ideas but if you wanted anything done, Jamaya was the one to go to. She ran the asari government like a well-oiled machine. "We sent a team of scientists to Ilos after the Normandy discovered the Prothean stash there. After the attack on the Citadel we must take tangible steps to protect the galaxy, or at the very least the asari worlds."
Video footage on the datapad caught Aethyta's attention. "Is that Liara? Is that Omega? What's she doing on Omega?"
Jamaya shot a quick look at Malayne. She and the Grand Matriarch had discussed this already. It was time to break the news to Aethyta. "Liara was hired by a human extremist group called Cerberus to acquire Commander Shepard's body, but we don't yet know for what purpose."
"What?" Aethyta gave Jamaya a disapproving look and asked accusingly, "She's doing what? And how long have you known about this?"
Malayne stepped in, "Thyta, we've just received the intel and we had to confirm its authenticity before taking any actions."
"What actions have you taken? Why did you send me to Illium if Liara is on Omega? I want to know, I have the right to know!" Aethytha's face started to turn deeper purple.
"Calm yourself, Aethyta." Malayne raised a hand. She was one of the very few people that could say that to Aethyta without fear of getting a head butt. "This is why we're showing you this. Cerberus isn't the only organization involved in this deal. According to our intel, the Shadow Broker wants the very same thing Liara is trying to get for Cerberus. The Shadow Broker has fingers in many pies including the asari ranks, we just don't know how deep. With both sides holding a lot of power in their hands, this is a dangerous deal to make. Jammi is putting a squad of commandos together and you're going to take them to Omega and keep our kid safe." The Grand Matriarch put her raised hand down on Aethyta's knee for an added assurance. "But first you have to pay a visit to Tuchanka."
Aethyta sighed with visible relief, "When do I leave?" Jamaya tapped on the OSD a few times to show her the plan. Aethyta read it carefully and then she watched the footage of Liara on the OSD again.
"What have you gotten yourself into, Liara?"
A/N: Next up: Tuchanka