Authors Note: made some changes to this chapter, to bring it up to standard with the rest of them, ow that I have a Beat reader to go through and give me pointers. Hope it flows better now!
I hope people are enjoying the story. I have had any messages or review yet that I know of, so please feel free to comment. Some light swearing in this chapter
This is a Fan Fiction. All Themes and Characters belong to Bioware. No Copy-write infringement intended.
Chapter Six
Shepard's voice was back to normal, but her shoulder still twanged a bit when she made sudden moves, and with Noveria only 18 hours away, she decided to head down to the cargo bay and work it out. It was still early, only 3:00am, and Shepard had almost two hours until the rest of the crew would be up.
She preferred working out on her own, as what she did to keep herself in top condition was… unique compared to most Alliance soldiers.
She stepped off of the elevator into the cool, dark cargo bay, and headed for the stereo. She turned it on a low volume, and snuck in her chit with her favorite "mouldy oldies" as her mother had called them.
She took a deep breath, and started into her movements. They were designed to increase her balance and reflex time, while building her stamina so she could hold herself perfectly still, while still supporting the weight of her weapon, like in her days on the sniper team. She was an average height for a woman, about 5'8", but had a small frame, she was quite slender.
Most people looked at her and took this to be a disadvantage. Shepard had learned quickly, the weaker they think you are, the better chance you have to catch them off guard. She had worked tirelessly from the time she joined the Alliance at 18 to prove people wrong in their misconceptions of her, and for the most part she had.
When she started the N7 program, she had been fresh off of her "victory" on Elysium.
She had been withdrawn, and antisocial. Her release had been to head down and hit the weights in the early mornings before shift change.
She had been doing it for about 6 weeks when she met Wallace. He started to come down at the same time as her, and would do these… poses. Like a dance almost. They worked down there at the same time for four days before they spoke. She remembered it clearly.
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"You know, for someone built the way you are, weights are not going to get to where you need to be." Wallace stated, startling Shepard enough the bar clanged back into the bracket.
"Oh? And how would you know where I need to be?" Shepard sneered at him, heat in her face.
He motioned her to get up, and Shepard saw the stripes on his collar, and cursed inwardly as she noticed he was wearing the N7 logo. She stood, and he eyed her appraisingly, walking around her in a slow circle.
"You have a petite frame, but I bet your quick, and I've seen you have good stamina." He stated, cocking an eyebrow.
She struggled with her temper, it was always right at the surface these days, and replied "Yes, I'm top in my division for hand to hand and obstacle negotiation."
He nodded "Then what you need is a routine that will play to those strengths, and help you build them. Weights will just create bulk, when you need to train your muscles to support you in utter stillness that transitions into quick movements with no delay."
She just stared at him. Who the hell did he think he was to just waltz in here and tell her that what she was doing was wrong, and she should do what he told her to do? "I suppose this is where you tell me you'll be my teacher, and in return we get all naked and sweaty in the showers after sessions? Well thanks, but no thanks, Sir."
Quicker than thought his hand snaked out and grabbed her collar, and he hauled her right up into his face.
"You better drop that attitude right now soldier!" He snapped at her. "I have been watching your training, and I think you have more potential in your little finger than most N recruits have after years of training. I understand that you are working through some shit, but if you let the opportunity to come out number one in the program slip by because you can't get out of your head, I will hunt you down and kick your ass through this galaxy. Do you understand me, recruit?"
Shepard stared at him, fury blazing in her green eyes. She nodded and he set her down.
"Let's try this again. I'm Major Wallace, and I am in charge of placement for those who complete the N7 program. I believe you have what it takes Shepard, and I want to teach you how to be the best soldier you can be. Will you let me?"
She let out a pent up breathe, and relaxed her shoulders. "Sir, yes sir." She said, and gave him a mock salute.
"When we are in private, leave that sir shit behind, I am Wallace and you are Shepard, and I am going to teach you the meaning of quick reflexes."
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Shepard grinned to herself as she put herself through the movements, and decided when she was done, she would fire a quick message off to Wallace. She hadn't talked to the old bastard in months. She made herself clear her mind, and focus on what she was doing. Twenty minutes later she was so focused on holding the pose that she didn't notice Garrus step off the elevator, then lean against the Mako to watch her.
She came out of the pose in an explosion of movement. She rolled to the edge of the mat and grabbed the empty pistol she placed there earlier, then put herself through a series of acrobatics, rolling and flipped to various points in the hold, with no pauses.
It should have looked sporadic, but each movement flowed into the next, and she was a blur of speed and agility. She sprang up from her back onto her feet with the pistol held steady in front of her, and in that instant saw Garrus against the Mako, watching her.
"Maker Shepard, remind me not to sneak up on you in a dark alley." Garrus drawled at her, chuckling.
She let out a full blown belly laugh, and leaned next to him. "God Garrus, how long were you there?"
"Long enough to see that you're a bad ass. How did you get so fast? I have only seen Drell move like that."
She grinned at him and winked. "I'll tell you the story sometime Garrus, over drinks… lots of drinks." She laughed and headed back to her cabin to hit the showers.
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Noveria was freezing. A giant ice ball of a planet.
She had Kaidan and Liara with her, and after getting them through reception, she was getting the run around. The workers told her that Matriarch Benezia was indeed on Noveria, but had taken off to Peak 15, a lab farther along up in the mountains.
Shepard uncovered that Saren and Benezia were investors in Binary Helix, a leading company in the fields of genetic engineering and biotechnology, and that the company had a significant presence on Noveria.
Shepard returned to the receptionist and grilled her about getting to peak 15, and was told that the lab had issued a Code Omega signal, stating there are critical problems, and was cut off from communications due to a blizzard.
Shepard was getting more and more frustrated by the delays, and got the receptionist to direct her to Administrator Anoleis, to get a garage pass for a Mako.
He was useless, and after more wasted time running around, Shepard got evidence that he was embezzling funds, and got her pass.
They entered the hanger to get the Mako and discovered it was full of Geth. By now Shepard's temper was being kept in line by a thread, and she had Liara and Kaidan tear them apart with biotics while she blasted any that got close with her shotgun. By the time they got into the Mako to head out into the blizzard, Shepard was grinning. Nothing like a shotgun blast to an enemies face to lighten the mood.
There were Geth all along the causeway on the route to peak 15, but the Mako was equipped with heavy guns, and they made short work of them. Kaidan and Liara made some small talk about biotics during the drive, and Liara, curious as ever was quizzing Kaidan about his implant. Asari were natural biotics and she was curious to understand the differences and limitations between them.
"OK you two, we've reached the hangar. Stay sharp." Shepard said, stopping the Mako and hopping down.
She took point with Kaidan and Liara on either side of her, and they headed into the facility. There were Geth everywhere, and it was a tough fight to get through the first wave and head down a level. The cleared a room full of snow of Geth and were heading up a level when a monstrous insectoid attacked them. It had long flailing limbs with wicked spines, and Liara got one through her upper arm before they could back away. Kaidan blasted it with a pulse, and Shepard emptied her assault rifle into it until it dropped.
Liara applied medi gel to her wound, and assured them she was fine. Kaidan shushed the Asari and examined her anyway. Shepard decided she had never fully appreciated what having a trained field medic was like for her missions. It was hugely reassuring that there was actaully someone who knew what he was doing to help with the injuries that invariably occurred when she did Missions.
They examined the corpse of the bug creature. "This is getting better and better, first Geth, and now spider monsters" Kaidan muttered, probably thinking no one could hear him. "Shepard nudged him with her elbow, grinned at him and said "C'mon Alenko, this just means it's fun!" She laughed wickedly and she continued on, ignoring the slightly scandalized look her shot her.
They made it into a room that had tubes branching off in several directions and Shepard could hear a soft voice coming from the very back. They headed over to investigate and discovered the stations V.I.
It told them they had to reconnect the landlines to get the trams to other parts of the station operating again. They headed up to the roof as the V.I directed and got the connection re-established. Then headed back down to the V.I for more information.
It told them that the main fuel lines to the core reactor were down and needed to be repaired before they could proceed, so they headed off and dealt with that as well, Shepard grumbling about wasted time and energy the whole time.
Shepard stomped back over to the V.I. and was told that they could proceed now, but the tram tunnel was filled with contaminants that would need to be dealt with before heading to the next station. Shepard sighed, resigned to the fact that nothing about this mission was going to be straight forward, and headed through the tunnel.
She made it to the blockage, and got Kaidan to repair the plasma vent and they watched the bugs burn. Yet another point for the capable Lieutenant. A medic and a tech nerd. Hot and useful, what a combination.
They hopped on the tram and headed off to rift station. Finally.
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After much running around, they cured a bunch of people who got contaminated by a bio-weapon, learned that the creepy insectoids attacking them were Rachni- thousands of years extinct Rachni for fuck's sake- took out a dirty Asari Geneticist, and had to kill a bunch of commandos working for Benezia.
Shepard, Kaidan and Liara were finally on the elevator down to the hot labs to deal with Benezia. They had been on Noveria for almost 10 hours, and they were all exhausted.
They stepped off the elevator and upon entering the lab, Benezia immediately stepped forward and confronted "You do not know the privilege of being a Mother. There is power in creation. To shape a life. Turn it towards happiness or despair."
Shepard's skin broke out in goose bumps. The Matriarchs voice was eerie, with an odd tone. She looked at Liara, who looked stricken, like someone had sucker punched her in the stomach.
Benezia continued "Her children were to be ours. Raised to hunt and slay Sarens enemies." Benezia had turned and was looking at a huge Rachni in a tube behind her. She turned and walked towards them, turning her head slowly until she was looking directly at Liara. "I won't be moved by sympathies. No matter who you bring into this confrontation."
Shepard Stepped forward, blocking Liara slightly from Benezia, trying to shield her from the cold words pouring from the Asari's mouth. "Liara is here because she wants to be. Not because I asked her to." Shepard replied.
The Matriarchs cold eyes turned to Shepard briefly, then shifted back to Liara. "Indeed. What have you told her about me Liara?" She asked.
"What could I say mother? That you're insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? What could I say? Liara's voice broke slightly, and Shepard wished she could squeeze her hand to offer a show of support. She didn't dare however, she kept all her attention focused on Benezia, watching her like a snake watches a mouse.
Benezia dismissed Liara completely, turning her attention back to Shepard. She smiled slightly and said "Have you faced an Asari commando unit before? Few humans have."
Shepard looked at her in disbelief. Rage started to fill her, making her throat tight, and her blood hum through her veins. "I can't believe you'd kill your own daughter." She said tightly.
Benezia glanced at Liara again, and said "I now realize I should have been stricter with her." She crouched down and hit Shepard with a stasis field. Shepard couldn't move at all, and could only watch as Asari Commando's poured into the room from every direction and Benezia strolled away towards the tube holding the giant Rachni.
The field holding her abruptly released as Kaidan sent a direct attack to Benezia, making her scurry for cover. Shepard dove behind a canister as the Commando's opened fire, attacking with biotic's and heavy weapons.
The battle was intense, the biotic's used by the commandos ripped down their shields and they were forced to give ground continually. Kaidan stayed close to Liara, who was powerful with her biotics, but was woefully inexperienced in weaponized combat.
Shepard was trying to flank two commandos that had Kaidan and Liara pinned down behind some crates when a powerful blast took down her shields and she fell heavily onto her face.
Her cheek hit the grated floor heavily and split, blood streaming down her face. She rolled onto her back, weapon raised to defend herself when she saw the red dot from the Geth sniper above her painted her chest.
Her shields hadn't recharged, and she had barely begin to roll when the shot slammed into her armour, and the bullet ripped deep into her side. She screeched as she continued to roll on the tortured flesh until she was behind a crate, then she lay still for a moment panting heavily. She grabbed a medi gel and squeezed it it on the wound through the gaping hole in her armour. She left her face for the moment, it wasn't obstructing her vision, so it could be dealt with later.
She reached around behind and felt for the exit wound… there wasn't one. Shit, she hated surgery. The medi gel dulled the pain from a roar to a throb, and she grabbed her assault rifle and dove back into the fray.
With the last Commando down, the three of them headed up to the platform that Benezia was on. She was crouched at the very back, close to the tube.
"This is not over. Saren is unstoppable. My mind is filled with his light. Everything is clear." Benezia said fanatically.
Shepard snorted "The Rachni didn't cooperate with you. Why should I?"
Benezia seemed to struggle with herself for a moment. "I will not betray him. You will…you…" She trailed off shaking her head as though confused. She whirled around and looked at Liara, her face was desperate, and her voice sounded different "You must listen! Saren still whispers in my mind. I can fight his compulsions. Briefly. But the indoctrination is strong."
Liara started forward instantly but Shepard stepped in front of her, stopping her from approaching Benezia asking "Why are you able the break free of his control now?"
Benezia replied without hesitation. "I sealed a part of my mind away from the indoctrination. Saving it for a moment when I could help destroy him. It will not last long."
Shepard was still skeptical, but there was a ring of truth to the Asari's words. "So you could still turn on me again."
"Yes." Benezia replied "But it would not be my will, Shepard. People are not themselves around Saren. You come to idolize him. Worship him. You would do anything for him. The key is Sovereign, his flagship. It is a dreadnought of incredible size and its power is extraordinary."
The image of the immense Squid like ship descending on Eden Prime flashed through Shepard's mind. "Sovereign is not like other ships. Where did it come from?"
Benezia paused slightly "I cannot say. The Geth did not build it. It is a technology far more advanced than that of any known species. The longer you stay aboard, the more Sarens will becomes correct. You sit at his feet and smile as his words pour into you. It is subtle at first. I thought I was strong enough to resist. Instead, I became a willing tool, eager to serve."
Her voice started to break, her head drooped slightly. Shepard felt Liara tense beside him. Benezia continued, sounding weary. "He sent me here to find the location of the Mu Relay. Its position was lost thousands of years ago."
"How does something that big just go missing?" Shepard's brow furrowed in confusion.
Benezia straightened her shoulders, seeming to bolster herself to continue. "Four thousand years ago, a star nearby went supernova. The shockwave propelled the relay out of its system, but did not damage it. Its precise vector and speed are impossible to determine. As millennia passed, the nebula created by the nova enveloped the relay. It is difficult to find a cold object in interstellar space. Particularly something swathed in hot dust and radiation."
The pieces were starting to fall together.
Shepard's face and side were throbbing painfully, and she cursed inwardly as she heard the soft drip, drip, drip, onto the floor at her feet and realized the wound in her side couldn't be improved with more Medi Gel.
She knew Kaidan could hear it because he was looking subtly around, trying to locate the source. She shifted her stance, hoping to block his view from the splatter on the floor.
"Someone on Noveria found it?" She asked Benezia.
The Matriarch was swaying slightly side to side now, and Shepard knew it must be getting harder for her to continue giving them the information Saren desperately didn't want them to have.
"Two thousand years ago, the Rachni inhabited that region of our Galaxy. They discovered the relay. The Rachni can share memories across generations. Queens inherit the knowledge of their mothers. I took the location of the relay from the Queen's mind. I was not gentle" Benezia looked down, and shame flooded her face.
Liara made a soft noise, and shifted behind Shepard, but made no move to push past her towards her mother.
"How did the Rachni find it?" Shepard asked her.
"They searched, patiently. They are territorial creatures, driven to close any possible way into the systems." Benezia said. Shepard didn't know how much time they had left, the Matriarch was shivering, and seemed so come in and out of focus.
"Why does Saren need the Mu relay?" Shepard asked bluntly.
Benezia replied in a rush, forcing the words out. "He believes it will lead him to the conduit. I would tell you more if I could, but Saren did not share his counsel with me. I was merely a servant to his cause." Shepard believed Benezia that she was a tool, indoctrinated against her will to serve Sarens twisted plans.
Shepard said softly "You can still make it right. Give me the information."
Benezia stood straighter "I was not myself, but … I should have been stronger". She walked towards them, reaching out to Shepard. Kaidan tensed beside her, but didn't move. "I transcribed the date to an OSD. Take it. Please." Her voice was urgent, and her hand shook as Shepard took the drive from her.
Liara took a step forward "Knowing the relay's coordinates is not enough. Do you know where he planned to go from there?" She asked her Mother softly.
Benezia looked at her daughter and shook her head slowly. "Saren wouldn't tell me his destination. But you must find out quickly. I transmitted the coordinates to him before you arrived." Benezia shuddered, and cried out "You have to stop… me. I can't… His teeth are at my ear. Fingers on my spine. You should… Uhh … you should go!"
Benezia staggered away from them clutching her head, Liara started to run forward "Mother! I … Don't leave! Fight him!" She cried.
Benezia looked at Liara and a ghost of a smile crossed her face "You've always made me proud Liara." Liara sobbed and took another step forward. Benezia snapped straight and screamed "Die!"
Shepard shoved Liara out of the way as Benezia unleashed a huge biotic attack where Liara had been standing, Shepard had no choice but to blast her with the assault rifle until the blue glow faded from her and she slumped to the ground.
"I cannot go on. You will have to stop him Shepard." Benezia gasped, Blue blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Benezia pulled herself to her feet as Shepard said "We've got medi gel. Maybe we can…"
"No!" Benezia cut her off with a cough. "He is still in my mind. I am not entirely myself. I will never be again."
Benezia leaned against the Rachni tube, her eyes glazed.
"Mother!" Liara cried, rushing to her side as she slid down the tube.
Benezia looked at her daughter "Good night Little Wing. I will see you again with the dawn." Benezia sighed and said softly "No light? They always said there'd be …" The Matriarch was gone.
Kaidan crouched down and placed his hand on Liara's shoulder to comfort her. Shepard let the pain and rage wash over her.
Saren would pay in blood for the suffering he caused. She ground her teeth and stepped towards Kaidan and Liara. She glanced at the Tube with the Rachni queen, putting her hand on the glass and leaning close, inspecting the creature in the tube. She couldn't look at Liara and Benezia.
There were too many painful memories threatening to bury her already, from when she had watched her own mother violently die.
A star shaped tentacle suddenly slammed into the glass where her hand was, and she jumped back with a yell. Kaidan spun and had his gun out, and Liara shrieked and jumped.
A dead Asari was slowly moving past Shepard towards the tank with the Rachni Queen. She held a warning hand to Kaidan, waiting to see what the hell was going on.
A voice came from the dead Commando, a voice that seemed to echo and whisper in her mind.
"This one. Serves as our voice. We cannot sing. Not in these low spaces. Your music's are colourless."
Shepard was confused by the stilted speech. "Music's? What?"
The strange voice continued to come out of the dead commando. "Your way of communicating is strange. Flat. It does not color the air. When we speak, one moves all."
What. The. Fuck. Shepard thought. Our way of communicating is strange? This thing is using a dead body to talk to me!
The Queen continued. "We are the Mother. We sing for those left behind. The children you thought silenced. We are Rachni"
Shepard walked close to the glass, not looking at the body beside her. "How are you speaking through her?"
"Our kind sing through touching's of thought. We pluck the strings, and the other understands. She is weak to urging. She has colours we have no names for. But she is ending. Her music is bittersweet. It is beautiful… The children we birthed were taken from us before they could learn to sing. They are lost to silence. End their suffering. They cannot be saved. They will only cause harm as they are."
Shepard looked at Liara, who nodded slightly, tears still shining in her eyes. "If you're sure they can't be saved." Shepard replied.
"It is lamentable. But necessary. Do what you must. Before you deal with our children, we stand before you. What will you sing? Will you release us? Are we to fade away once more?" The queen asked.
Kaidan stepped close to Shepard and said quietly" Look. Those tanks? Acid. Strong enough to kill anything, no matter its biology. They wouldn't have installed it if they weren't afraid of the consequence of her getting loose."
Liara stepped forward and said quickly "They made a mistake. They let the Krogan go too far. This is a chance for us to atone. She has done nothing to us."
"Your companions hear the truth. You have the power to free us, or return our people to the silence of memory." The queen said softly.
Shepard crossed her arms and looked down. It was a heavy decision, and she didn't want to make it lightly. The blood from the wound in her side was running freely down her leg, and had filled her boot, leaving a puddle forming under it. As she looked at the blood, and thought of all the horrors she had seen today, she knew what she had to do.
"I won't destroy your entire race. You'll go free." Even though she was speaking through a dead Asari, Shepard could hear the shock in the Queens voice.
"You will give us the chance to compose anew? We will remember. We will sing of your forgiveness to our children."
Shepard stepped up to the console, and knew Kaidan had finally noticed the pool of blood where she had been standing by his sharp intake of breath and soft curse. She punched in the code; the tube raised and the Rachni queen was free.
Shepard turned on her heel and headed for the exit. She wanted to get the hell out of here as fast as she could. They needed to figure out what to do with Benezia's body, and she knew she needed to get her side looked at as she was starting to feel light headed and wanted to be back on the ship before she passed out.
They hurried back through the labs and came across a man who seemed to be a bit delirious. He explained that facility could undergo a neutron purge and it would kill everything on the station.
Shepard had looked at Liara, hoping she understood that this meant they would not be able to recover her mother's body for a proper burial.
"What's back there is no longer my mother Shepard. I can honor her another way."
Shepard nodded to her, proud of how well Liara was holding together.
She turned to get the code from the man when a lone Rachni burst from the floor and speared him through the chest, killing him instantly. Kaidan blasted it with his heavy pistol, and Shepard recovered the code from the body.
So much death in one day. Saren would pay. They were all emotionally drained and just wanted to get the hell off Noveria.
Shepard activated the code with the station VI, and they got on the elevator. They were almost to the top when the labs blew up beneath them.
Shepard looked at Kaidan, vision going spotty, and said "Hey Kaidan, care to help a girl out?"
She reached out to grasp his arm for support, but ended up going wide and nearly falling. He ducked down and grabbed her under her knees, lifting her.
"God Shepard!" His voice was harsh with worry, and she vaguely heard Liara gasp "By the Goddess!"
She felt dizzy and knew she was going to pass out. She looked into his amber colored eyes, they were filled with worry. God his eyes... I could drown in them.
"Thanks for the lift Alenko" She grinned at him, then faded into the blessed darkness.