A/N: There is mention of sexy-time stuff in this chapter. Between Shepard and Liara (and a vibrating hand). So if you are offended by that, what the hell are you doing here? Go find some Shenko or Shakarian if that's your thing, but right in this little corner of the interwebs, its all engines forward for Asari and Talibrations!.
/end rant
but seriously, there is one of my favourite quotes in the second part of this chapter.
Three Months Later
Illyria woke up with a small start as her nightmare ended. She had thought that with the war over, her finally being released from hospital and living the life she felt she deserved, they would stop. But once every few days, she would still get them, horrible nightmares that reminded her of all the loss that the Reaper war had brought.
She tried to roll over to her side, causing mumbles and moans from her bedmate. Illyria stopped and looked over to the naked blue asari who shared her bed, her love and her life, and a small smile crept to her lips. She knew that her full recovery would take a while, but knowing that Liara would be beside her every step of the way gave her strength. She craned her neck and placed a gentle kiss on the top of the asari's head, where the two central crests separated, causing a more appreciative moan from Liara, who slightly tightened the grip of the arm around the human's waist.
Shepard looked over to the clock on the bedside table, and found it was only 10 minutes until the alarm would have woken them anyway. She placed another kiss on Liara's head and tried to lift the arm currently trapping her. Though it received only more complaints from the still-sleeping asari, Shepard managed to escape to a sitting position, even if there was a slight frown on Liara's face now that she was alone. Shepard tentatively stroked Liara's face with her right hand, surprised once again at how natural it felt. Surprised because six weeks ago the Normandy had returned to Earth, bringing with it Legion's body. The surgeons had little trouble in grafting Legions arm onto her right shoulder, the old N7 armour stark on her body. It had taken a few days for her mind and body to fully sync with the new hardware, but after a week it was like it had always been her arm. She could feel it when she touched things, almost like her old human arm. Like the doctor had imagined it had taken several days to get used to having different numbers of fingers on each arm, but it was worth it to have an arm, and to honour a friend.
Illyria shook herself out of her reverie and moved her pillow under Liara's outstretched arm to try and placate her, before pivoting so her legs were hanging off the bed. Though she had made a lot of progress with her recovery, there was still something that she had a long way to go for. She reached for the sturdy cane that had been placed near the bedside table, pulling herself upright with her arms as her weak legs struggled to support her weight. She took some slow, tentative steps towards the bathroom that alighted at the top of the steps in her cabin on the Normandy. She managed to make her wait to the bathroom and close the door without waking Liara, then she manoeuvred herself under the faucet and let the water warm her still-naked body. She leaned against the wall, almost sitting on the bar that had been installed there for her. Illyria closed her eyes as she let the water soak her body before reaching for the soap.
She wasn't sure how long it was before Liara joined her, but the first she became aware of it was a set of warm lips kissing hers gently, hands threading fingers through each other. She opened her eyes to another set of blue eyes looking at her with joy and love, though still a little bit asleep.
"Hmm, looks like you got a head start on me Illyria. Since it looks like there's nothing left for me to do, I guess I'll just be going." She made a mock attempt at escaping the shower when a warm hand grabbed her wrist.
"Where do you think you're going Miss T'Soni. I may be clean enough, but you just got out of bed. I need to make sure that you're clean enough before we meet the Council later." Shepard voice had a mocking edge to it, and Liara turned around, a coy expression on her face.
"Well, far be it for me to stop you making sure I have a nice clean body," Liara said in a sultry whisper.
"Clean body perhaps, but I think I'm a little too late for the mind."
"Shepard," Liara said with a fake swat to Illyria's rear. "How can you say such things?"
"After last night and your insistence to try out the new functions we discovered my arm has, very easily."
Liara's eyes rolled a little and she bit her bottom lip gently as the memories of their lovemaking the previous night came rushing back. For the most part their sex life was gentle, given Shepard's condition, but when they discovered that Legion's arm had several previously unknown functions, Liara had been eager to test them out. She may have been a little more forceful and demanding last night as she tested out the vibration settings of Shepard's new arm, and may have orgasmed harder than she ever had before because of it. They never did try out some of the other functions, that would have to wait.
Liara was brought back to the present by a familiar hum as Shepard activated her arm's vibrating function again, taking the loofah and rubbing it over Liara's body to make sure that all traces of sweat and sex were removed. Liara hummed in approval, her hums becoming markedly higher and more moan-like as the cleaning arm moved around her more sensitive areas, like the back of her neck, her crests and her lower back. All pretence of humming was gone as the soapy hand vibrated its way around her breasts, along her thighs, around the cheeks of her butt and finally coming to rest on her azure. She looked Illyria in the eye and moaned, hoping her face would convey what she wanted Shepard to do. Illyria's face opened in a huge grin as she teased around Liara's slick sex, before removing her hand and rinsing Liara off.
"Goddess Shepard, don't leave me like this, please," begged the asari. Illyria wrapped Liara in a firm, if soapy embrace, her head and neck moving to place her mouth right next to the membrane that served as Liara's ear.
"Like what, my Celeste?" Illyria asked in a hot whisper against Liara's sensitive neck
"So close, like this, please don't leave me aaAHH!" The last word turned into a gasp as Liara felt Illyria suck gently on one of the folds of her neck as she simultaneously pulled both of them back against the wall, giving Illyria enough support for her to move her right arm back between Liara's thighs and press a once-again vibrating finger into her wet centre. Illyria felt the familiar push of Liara's mind as she initiated the meld, the two of them feeling and becoming one as they pushed each other inexorably towards climax.
As their minds and bodies slid down the wall and recovered, Liara placed a kiss, passionate but sated, on Shepard. As their breathing calmed while the water cascaded down their naked forms, the two of them smiled at each other.
"So, feeling awake now Celeste?" asked Illyria. Liara had noticed the new pet name Illyria had been calling her the last few weeks, and looked it up on the extranet. It was from an Earth language called Italian. Its most literal form was just 'sky blue' but the more poetic interpretation was 'heavenly,' which is how Illyria felt about Liara.
"Hmm, very much so. That shower hit the spot." She stood up and reluctantly turned off the water before lending a hand to Shepard to get back up.
"Oh, just the shower, eh?"
"Well, there may have been some additional input by you, but it was mostly the shower," she teased her human lover with a wink.
Liara handed back Illyria's cane and got their towels, handing one to her lover before exiting to avoid being playfully whipped with the towel. After they were both dry and dressed, being a little more difficult for Shepard than it used to be, they sat on the bed looking at each other. Liara grabbed Shepard's left hand, her human one, and squeezed it gently.
"Are you sure about this Illyria? I know you've done wonders for the Galaxy, and you've deserved every honour they've given you." Her eyes briefly stole a glance at the wall opposite the fish tank, which was now sparkling as medals and accolades from every species had been pinned there. "But are you really sure you want to do this now?" Illyria had followed her lover's glance towards the wall adorned with metal, but it was another wall two levels down that had cemented her resolve.
"Yes Liara. I'm sure. I owe the Council, the Alliance, and the whole galaxy really, the opportunity to hear it from me. And in return, they owe me the respect of my descision."
"You've earned this Illyria, never let anyone tell you otherwise." Liara finished with a kiss to emphasise her feelings.
XXX
It was the first time the entire Council now sat in session with all members attending. The Council had been dramatically increased to reflect the true galactic community they were now in. In addition to the turian, asari and salarian councillors who had survived, as well as the initially vacant human seat, Council seats were extended to the volus, the krogan, a consolidated seat for the hanar and drell and another consolidated seat for the people of Rannoch, the geth and quarians. The batarians had been extended and offer but refused, saying they wanted to focus more on rebuilding on their own, requesting a small embassy post for the moment until they were ready to re-integrate into galactic society. The rachni queen and her brood had disappeared once again, but had left saying that when they were ready, they would seek out the Council themselves. The vorcha just fell in line behind the krogan.
So it was that the Concillors Sparatus, Tevos and Valern, joined by the human Jorje Valaknoss, the krogan Jorgal Arnot, the volus representative Arx Knalk, the hanar and drell representatives, the geth platform designated Myriad and Admiral Zaal'Koris via comm. hologram greeted Commander Shepard. They had been asked for an audience by the Saviour of the Galaxy, and each of them had scrambled to be the first to accept. And now Shepard stood in the largely untouched Council chambers on the Citadel, leaning heavily on Liara by her side and even more heavily on the cane in her right hand. In addition to the Council, the gallery above was packed with military and government representatives from all over the galaxy.
"Councillors, I know many of you personally, I call you my friends, even though we haven't always seen eye to eye. I know almost all of your species have decorated my chest with medals beyond count. That makes what I have to say to you today even harder, knowing you all as I do." She paused to take a breath and to look to Liara. Liara gave her a small smile and nod of support, so Shepard turned to the Council once more to address them. "There once was on Earth, a long time ago, a wise man that had fought almost all his life, and then fought no more. His words echo my own thoughts now."
"'Hear me my Chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.' These were the words of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, and now they are mine as well. I have fought for my life, and the life of the galaxy, and now I have earned my rest. I come here before you all as a gesture to show that with the galaxy now united as we are, my time is done. I am resigning from my commission as Commander in the Alliance, along with the command of the Normandy. I am resigning from the Special Tactics and Reconnaisance branch of the Council, and also resigning all honourary positions I have been granted now, so that I am beholden to no-one, and likewise none are beholden to me."
As she finished speaking there was several long moments of silence, before a clapping began somewhere in the gallery. It was soon taken up by all present, even the Councillors themselves. After several long minutes of thunderous clapping, wild shouts and whistles, too loud and jumbled to pick out anything; Councillor Tevos raised her hands, calling for silence once more. As the crowd wound down, everyone looked to see what her response would be.
"Commander Shepard... I mean Illyria Shepard. We, all of us here today and all still living in the galaxy, owe you and your crew a debt we can never repay."
"You have saved the galaxy as we know it, often in the face of great adversity," spoke up Sparatus. "Sometimes, against the adversity of people in this very room. Our apologies will never be enough now, but know you have the heartfelt thanks of a grateful galaxy."
"Shepard, you have shown the very highest levels of devotion to duty, compassion and understanding," added Zaal'Koris. "Alone and with no recourse and often little support, you have united the galaxy in a war that would have ended us all. You have ended petty conflicts centuries and millennia old to make us realise the truth of all our actions."
"You have given us all hope for the future Shepard," called out the krogan Jorgal Arnot. "A future where our children will grow up without old grudges and fears, but with hope. We owe you all we can give, for you have given us more than we can ever repay, the gift of simply having a future."
Tevos looked along the line of Councillors, each of them nodding emphatically.
"Illyria Shepard, we accept your resignation. Go with our thanks and forever in your debt. May we be allowed one question?"
"You can ask Councillor. I cannot guarantee I will answer," came the reply.
"Where will you go from here?" Illyria looked over to her asari, her Liara, her Celestial beauty. Everything she needed, for the rest of her life, would be with her. As long as they were together, anything was possible, any dream worth living, and worries not applicable.
"Wherever the wind make take us." With that last response the Saviour of the Galaxy, defeater of the Reapers and Giver of Hope, left. With her love at her side, there was really nothing else she could want.
