A/N: The last chapter I have, but quite soon I'll be able to write more, though as I said, I'll focus on the Prince of Serpents.

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by CreatorZorah

Chapter 3

December 13th, 1501 AD (09:39am)

Galactic Standard Date: 9/2, 1804 (1:02)

Earth's orbit

The Earth. Damn, what a beautiful planet! It took me twenty years to prepare everything and keep it from prying eyes. I learned lots of useful things for my mission. Some engineering, medicine and even starship piloting. The things that I didn't expect to be necessary at first.

Much to my dismay I started a corporate war in the Asari Republics. It's over now, and the economy is thriving, but I'm still uncomfortable with the amount of changes I caused. Even laws had to be adjusted. Especially after I liquidated nine large corporations to get money. On the bright side, despite monstrous expenses, I managed to get much more wealthy than before and that's good because I need money to finance my gamble with the Mankind.

I found three planets, habitable to an extent. One of them is surprisingly good, almost a carbon copy of the Earth. A perfect planet for colonization. Ninety light-years from Earth. The second one, that lies about eighty light-years away is less comfortable for a human. I doubt it would be colonized at all if found. However I don't need perfect worlds, because technologies can make the lives of colonists comfortable enough. The third one on the other hand is a nightmare, but that's what I need, because I plan to create sort of a prison world there.

All three planets are far enough from the active Mass Relays to be isolated, but close to dormant ones that won't be activated until humans of the Earth reach the Arcturus. Somehow I wonder if the first planet is what humans would call Eden Prime, because it does look like it.

I sigh and command the VI to land the starship. It's quite small, but I don't need a large one right now, because I won't have many passengers. After a few minutes I find a small village in Eastern Europe and set the course for landing right next to it. I see humans who were either looking at the descending starship or running away and smile. Religion surely helps me, since I do actually descend from the sky, otherwise there would be much less people looking and more running.

Soon the ship touches the ground and I run for the airlock. As I'm out, I take a deep breath and say, "I'm home."

It's really nice to visit the homeworld. Even after years on Thessia, I still think of it as my home. The asari homeworld didn't manage to replace the Earth in my heart. Of course, I can't be sure if I don't change my mind in hundred years, and, sure, it's not really my Earth and, probably, won't ever be the Earth I remember. However I like the illusion, because it's comfortable to have a place that I can genuinely call home.

Then my eyes fall on the villagers who stare at me with huge eyes. I've never thought that I would become an alien invader. Where's the XCOM? A smile creeps upon my lips. I shake my head and wonder which language the people speak. But who cares? I'm surprised that they don't run away. Are they terrified? Some are scared, obviously, others are curious.

It's about two metres to the ground. Sure, I can extend the ramp, but I decide to show off a bit more and slowly descend to the ground using biotics. I came from the sky, can fly and emit light. Almost like an angel. I head over to them, trying to look friendly. I'm sure they won't be able to do anything to me. I have a kinetic barriers, a pistol and biotic powers. No weapon can harm me.

People of my time would surely panic or get some military forces to kill me. These people are surprisingly different. They try to communicate with me, but I don't understand their language, so I stay calm watching as a few humans even kneel before me. Damn, that's awkward. I approach a young woman, who stands on her knees, touch her cheek and force her to look at me.

And then I meld with the woman. She's confused and scared, she doesn't even try to resist as I read her mind. She relaxes when the contact becomes pleasurable. It's very close to human sexual intercourse, that's why I feel very uncomfortable to do it with a random human. I don't touch her memories, just the language. When I break the contact the woman falls down to the ground, a blissful smile is seen on her face.

I raise my head and look at the crowd. "I came here for a child," I say in the language I don't even recognize from my own memories. "It should be no more than a year old. The one who gives the child shall be rewarded."

To look more mysterious, I ignore questions and use biotics to gently push away the people, who try to get closer to me. It's my first attempt and I'm not sure if it works well, I have a few different plans in my head, including a simple kidnapping. Still it seems to be working. I wait patiently until a few families come to me with their children in their hands. I'm lucky. Is that religion that helps me or do they just want to get rid of their children? Oh bother! Humans of this century are even more confusing than salarians. I look at the parents and chose the pair that looks most attractive. They have two boys behind them and a very young girl in the mother's hands.

"My daughter is almost a year old, but she isn't well," the mother says.

My omni-tool beeps signaling me that the analysis of human DNA is finished. I smile at the results. The Basic Universal Injection for gene correction, vaccination and straightening of immune system is compatible with human body. It's far from perfect, but I'm glad that I don't have to do much to protect children. Besides, that makes possible to give the parents the promised reward. Then I get the results on the girl's health. It's just a common cold that will be taken care of by the BUI.

"I will take her," I say looking the girl.

"Will she be cared for?" the girl's mother asks.

I give her a nod. "Of course, she will. She's chosen for a great mission." Then I move to make the injections to each member of the family. It's painless and doesn't look like a syringe from my time. I see their confusion and explain, "My gift. Your family and descendants will be healthier. You won't ever have a cold."

They seem to be disappointed at that, but I just take the child in my hands and move to the ship, ignoring other families and looks of the family that gave me the girl. I'd give them gold or silver, but that would, most likely, get them killed. Health is all and the best I can give them.

"Her name is Maria!"

It's the girl's mother's voice that stops me for a second. I turn my head to her, give her another nod and, using biotics, jump to the airlock and enter my starship. The first child is collected. Now I have to get twenty nine more children which will be raised as the first Teachers.

April 21th, 1519 AD (07:30am)

Galactic Standard Date: 7/4, 1820 (0:12)

Calatha's orbit

I didn't think that it would be this difficult. Raising one child is a headache. Raising thirty children at the same time is very difficult, but to do it in two split groups is a nightmare. Thankfully I had a virtual intelligence to help me. There was no choice but stay with them all the time for almost twenty years. Out of thirty children only twenty three became what I wanted.

The first fourteen of them will lead the theocratic world. It wasn't difficult to convince them that I'm their Goddess and they have to do what I say. The question is, how stable the society will be in the future and if they will be of any use to me and the galaxy.

The second group of nine will be the first citizens of an idealistic world. An attempt to create an utopian society. I won't be able to use it directly, of course, but there are advantages of this idea. It was so difficult to teach them. Their society should have absolutely no ties to the old one. Consequently, I couldn't even tell the children human fairy tales, because they're tied to the existing culture. I had to hire asari authors to write the literature I really needed. I wonder if it will work.

The seven who didn't make it were going to be mostly part of the second group. Either I made a mistake somewhere on the way, or their genetics somehow interfered with my teachings. Their aggressive behaviour, the need to dominate and get others to obey them was unwanted, so I isolated them from other humans. But I know what to do with them. They're perfect specimen for the prison world. I just have to abduct random humans from the Earth.

At last the VI lands my starship at the settlement and I move to the exit. As I step down the ramp, I see my kids rushing to me. I can't help but smile. I raised them and I do really consider them mine. I loved this group the most, because they were really different unlike the rest of their kind. So honest, selfless and friendly... that it's sort of depressing to realize that I'm not that good. And still they admire me as their mother and Teacher. The other thing that depresses me is their number. Only nine out of fifteen. I can't express how painful it to isolate the six a few years ago just because I failed them.

"Teacher Alisia, you came back," said a black-haired woman, smiling. "Is it the time?"

It's Maria. She's one of the nine, the only one who I was able to collect smoothly. I was attacked the second time I tried the same thing and decided to simply abduct all other children.

"Yes, it is the time," I answer with a nod. "They're cryosleeping."

"How many are they?" another woman asks.

"Just as I said, one hundred thirty five children. Each of you will be responsible for teaching fifteen of them. If anyone of you isn't ready, please, tell me now." As everyone stays silent, I continue, "Good. Let's unload the pods."

As we unload the cryo pods from the starship, I think about the future. In twenty years I will bring the last and the largest groups of children to Calatha and Arakia. The later is the planet where I established a theocratic society. I had a difficulty to find the names for the planets and in the end I just called them the Freedom and the Faith in Asari respectively. And then I found an appropriate name for the last planet. The Salutha or the Salvation.

When all cryo pods are in the main hall of the settlement, I use my omni-tool to open them and say loudly, "You know what to do. I wish you good luck."

"Thank you, Teacher Alisia."

"Just Alisia," I correct them with a smile. "Because now you are Teachers just like me, it's your turn to teach."

A/N: Did you recognize the references? :)

Thanks for reading, btw :)