Hello again. It was a bit of a wait between chapters but at least it wasn't 2 years this time.
Hope you enjoy this one. I have some nice scenes and we're building up to getting to Noveria but there's so much to cover. It might end up being 3 parts. I finished this up again at 1:30am and I'm trying to proofread while my eyes are dozing. So any grammatical errors or confusing parts, feel free to let me know. Enjoy.
Also, soul of the Colossus was able to figure out the title of the last Chapter. When I come Around is of course a song from Green Day off of their Dookie album. Let's see who can get this chapter's title.
Trapped Under Ice - Part 1
Naruto had commandeered an area of the shuttle bay towards the back for his training and meditation. Since he took Kaidan under his wing, Naruto has included him in this routine. At first it was simple drills to hone his chakra skill and to see where he stood. After a week of that, Naruto was genuinely impressed at how well Kaidan had adapted to the new procedures. Usually it took a person many years of training before they would see results of this level.
'I'm sure his military background had something to do with it but still he's a natural.' Naruto thought. 'His biotic training from before was completely stunting his growth if this is what he's capable of.'
He had Kaidan go through each of his biotic attacks to point out any flaws in his movement. Teaching someone a new way to do something was easy. The hard part was breaking the muscle memory of doing it the old way. Thankfully since it physically hurt at times to perform, Kaidan quickly adapted to the less stressful approach.
"So what was the name of that place that trained your biotic abilities again?" Naruto asked casually.
Kaidan grimaced at the thought of his time there. "Biotics Acclimation and Temperance Training or BAat. We just called it brain camp."
Naruto noticed it was still a sore subject for Kaidan. "Well whatever they taught you was enough to get you acclimated alright but the speed you're picking up my training shows me that they had no fucking clue what they were doing."
Kaidan cracked a small smile at that. "Yea, they tried to shoehorn turian training on human teenagers. Didn't go so well at first. So they had to make it up as they went."
"Seriously though, you're a natural at this. If you had been training with me since you were a kid, you'd be a one man wrecking crew I'd pit with the likes of an Asari Commando squad."
Kaidan brushed off the praise. "I don't know if I could take an Asari commando."
"No. You could probably take a commando NOW. I'm saying you WILL go head to head with an entire squad and be the last being standing." Naruto stated matter of fact.
"Will?"
Naruto gave him a sly grin. "Caught that did you? Yes, you will be a full on badass when I'm through with you." He stood up and walked towards an open area. "So let's see where you stand with your taijutsu."
"I still don't see the point of this. How often will we fight hand to hand?" Kaidan stood reluctantly across from his sensei.
Naruto could sense his hesitance but thought it was just the prefight jitters like the ones he often experienced when he was younger.
"You've never gone into battle and had everything go to shit?" Naruto raised his eyebrow.
"Honestly, no." Kaidan stated. "I actually haven't had much ground combat until these missions with Shepard. My time in the corps has been during a relatively peaceful period with the galaxy. The most action I've seen was taking down pirate gangs and we handled them usually with superior fire power."
What Kaidan didn't mention was his time in "Brain Camp" under Commander Vyrnnus, a turian brought in to train the first human biotics. His methods of training were brutal and often squared opponents off against one another to test their biotic abilities. Kaidan watched several friends die during his time there but his main reluctance for close combat was his own personal mental scar.
"Having these abilities makes you a weapon. You need to be able to survive without a gun or a blade if need be. You will not always have the luxury." Naruto explained.
The words struck a chord with Kaidan. He could hear Vyrnnus saying something similar. "Yea, well not all of us are fans of getting up close and personal."
Naruto shrugged. "Your enemy doesn't really give a damn. Here." He took up a casual stance across from the Lieutenant. "Hit me... if you can."
Kaidan moved into the basic fighting stance Naruto had him train with and got within a few feet of Naruto. Without warning, he launched himself towards Naruto using a biotic burst with a fist aimed for his head. Naruto easily moved out of the way. Kaidan followed up his initial attack with another punch towards the torso which Naruto casually redirected. This exchange continued through another dozen attempts by Kaidan to hit his opponent but only punishing the air.
"Come on. You have more than this." Naruto guided as he continued to make Kaidan look foolish. "Stop thinking and just react."
Kaidan was getting frustrated with not being able to hit Naruto. The taunting was really making him want to. He quickly moved behind Naruto and attempted to sweep his legs. Naruto responded by dancing away from the strikes with ease. He now had his arms behind his back looking bored in attempt to push Kaidan's buttons further.
'Smug bastard.' Kaidan thought as he pushed chakra throughout his body enhancing his speed.
The renewed attack actually had Naruto using his hands to guide the attacks away but still not looking in anyway threatened. Kaidan attempted a kick to Naruto's solar plexus but found his foot caught. A smile came to the blonde's face as he spun Kaidan like a roll of toilet paper across the floor.
"Interesting. Now it's my turn." Naruto gleefully stated.
The gleam in his eye did not bode well for Kaidan. Naruto moved as a blur. Alenko barely got his arm up in time to defend against the strike. The pain in his forearm though made him wish he had dodged it.
'God damn! Felt like he broke it.' Kaidan wiggled it to check and found movement was still possible.
His momentary distraction though caused him to miss the next attack.
"Ahh!" Kaidan yelped.
He rolled away from devastating leg strike as Naruto stomped down on the ship's floor. Kaidan stopped just before the hull and quickly propelled himself upright again. His escape was temporary as Naruto pressed onward.
"You're getting slow, Alenko. I thought you were working on those drills." Naruto taunted.
Kaidan narrowly avoided an axe strike by using his forearm, reinforced with chakra this time, to block the subsequent flurry of fists aimed at his torso. Naruto didn't give him a moment's rest with the uppercut aimed to knock Kaidan on his ass. Luckily for the Lieutenant, he didn't reinforce the punch with wind chakra otherwise he may have been missing some clothing or worse. Kaidan dodged Naruto's last attack by applying chakra to the balls of his feet. He burst backwards to gain some distance. He needed some air.
Despite breathing heavy, Kaidan found a way to reply. "You're a stamina... monster... though."
"Hmm, time to talk means I haven't worked you hard enough yet. Besides, are you going to disappoint your audience?" Naruto motioned to the right.
A crowd had been gathering to watch the two biotics square off. Even without any fancy charged moves, their speed and form kept on lookers interested.
Naruto launched another attack at Kaidan again with a strike to his left side which Kaidan subsequently blocked with another healthy dose of chakra reinforcing his arm. The force of the blow was dulled down compared to Naruto's normal standards but it was enough to throw Alenko off balance. Naruto moved in to sweep his legs out from under him but to the old man's surprise, Kaidan had used his right arm to propel his body over the attack. With a thrust of speed, Alenko went on the offensive. He threw a wave of punches meant to disorient his opponent. A quick jab to the mid-section was followed with a roundhouse kick towards Naruto's head.
"Raahh!" Kaidan unleashed a primal grunt upon impact from his attack. Unfortunately, his foot was stopped cold.
"Impressive. You're using chakra to enhance your movements much more naturally. You didn't even think before launching that attack did you?" Naruto praised him as he held his foot in the air with one finger.
Kaidan was in a vulnerable position and prayed that his tyrannical sensei was done the session to save him some dignity. Some of the female crewmen were snickering at his predicament which only further deflated his ego. Alenko thought about what Naruto said though. "Yea... It just... was there. But... you... you're too fast." He said with much effort.
"You think that's air you're breathing now?" Naruto cryptically asked.
"What?"
"Nothing. I think we're done for now."
Kaidan unceremoniously fell into a heap on the floor. Slowly his lungs took in fresh oxygen allowing his frantic breathing to even out. After a moment or two, he was calm again. Some of the women offered a good natured clap in his direction with a smile before they got back to their duties. Kaidan had to grin at that. Looking to his left as he stood up, he saw Naruto back in his meditation pose as if he never left it.
"So, what's next on the agenda?" Kaidan began.
Naruto answered without opening his eyes. "I think a bit more meditation and then back to work on those drills I showed you. You already have plenty of chakra stored in your body. So building up more would only hurt your control. Getting control of your physical form is what you need now. You want to be able to have the kata engrained so much that you can do them without thinking. No wasted movement and complete control of all your movements is the goal."
Kaidan seemed discouraged. "It would help if I could practice my moves in here."
"I don't see Shepard lifting that restriction though and for good reason. Don't want to accidentally tear a hole in the ship now do we? Plus your admirers might not be as interested if they were launched against a bulkhead from a stray biotic throw." Naruto replied with a grin.
"I doubt we'd go that far." Kaidan huffed. "Just enough to get a feel for this."
"Stick to the drills for now. Trust me. It'll pay off." Naruto opened his eyes. "Well that's enough for today. I've got this thing I've been working on that needs my attention."
Kaidan raised an eye brow. "You just don't stop moving do you?"
"I was always a bit hyperactive. I guess I never grew out of that. I like to have a bunch of projects to keep my attention span occupied. Otherwise I start thinking of inane things like how many volus it takes to fill a phone booth or how much does a Batarian dentist make a year or do Turians shave or better yet do Asari shave? They're all so smooth." He stared off into the distance pondering that quandary. "Maybe a visit to Liara." Naruto mused.
'What's a phone booth?' Kaidan figured it was time to get back to work before he got caught up in one of Naruto's quirky side tracks. "I'll just... get back to it then. Later."
"Hmmm, oh yes. Let me know if you have any questions." Naruto made his way back to the elevator and left Kaidan to his drills.
Shepard looked over the last line of the message again.
"Compromised. Cerberus dangerous. Warn Alliance."
Admiral Kahoku had sent him data on a secret facility run by a rogue black op named Cerberus. The message was obviously made in haste but the data sent was damning.
'Cerberus? Ashley and Naruto found evidence that ExoGeni was shipping items to a group named Cerberus. This has to be the same people.' He analyzed the details about their experiments. 'That explains the Thorian creepers but how did they get a hold of those husks from Eden Prime so quickly?" Shepard wondered.
The information was detailed but it was not extensive. It focused only on the few experiments the group was running at that facility. There were only hints at the larger picture.
'I'll need to check this out at some point. Cerberus has some deep connections.'
This could be an issue for the Alliance in the near future. It was clear that whatever their intentions, Cerberus did not have the Alliance's best interests in mind. Shepard forwarded the intel through a secure connection directly to Admiral Hackett. He would try to keep the Intelligence vultures out of it if he could.
'Though knowing them, they already knew about most of this.'
Shepard rubbed his eyes in frustration. The galaxy wouldn't stop creating new problems while he had to take care of the big fish. All these little fish still needed to be fried. He shook his head to clear those thoughts though. 'One thing at a time.'
Turning back to the Noveria file on one of his other data pads, Shepard looked over some of the additional details he received from his new contact. Councilor Nassana Dantius was at least good for something.
'The woman may be devious as a snake but she has connections.'
Shepard called in a favor he earned from the Shadow Broker for helping take out Fist to get some intel on Nassana. Her sister was far from kidnapped. She actually led the pirate gang Nassana wanted Shepard to take out. Leveraging this intel, he got her to hand over everything she knew about the ice planet. He knew he'd have to make good on 'rescuing' her sister eventually now that he used her for intel but at least he wasn't going into a mission blind for once. The data she provided for Noveria included dossiers on the biggest clients and contributors. It also had a pretty extensive history on the latest administrator, a salarian named Anoleis.
'Hmm, extortion, accepting bribes, corporate theft, this guy is a piece of work if even half the stuff Nassana gave me is true.' Shepard considered. 'None of it really matters to me though as long as he cooperates.' He'd have to think of a way to use the intel when he got there.
The one other piece that stuck out to him though is the human company, Binary Helix. They had a significant influx of capital from a private asari investor in the last year and their only other big contributor was a turian, also a silent partner. While it's not unusual for aliens to invest in human companies, it does stand out when you see these kinds of numbers over a short period of time.
'I'm no business expert but with the amount shown here, they could buy the company outright. Why stay a silent partner?' They were definitely worth taking a look into.
Shepard finalized his analysis and put together his plan of action. 'Better get the team up to speed. I'm not going to let another mission go haywire due to lack of information.'
He brought up the comm. "Joker. What's our ETA?"
"50 minutes to the Utopian Relay and then on to the Pax system." Joker replied.
"Alright. Have crewman Chase set up the comm room for a briefing at 0630 hours. Keep me updated on any changes."
"Aye, aye, sir. I'll have Addison get right on it." Joker closed the comm
Shepard had a few last minute things to clear up before the briefing. Remembering Naruto's emphatic dislike for Noveria, he'd have to make sure he wasn't going to cause a problem. 'I don't need any extra headaches to deal with.'
Shiala sat quietly across from Naruto as he tinkered with the piece of paper in front of him. His little cubby hole was secluded enough from the rest of the crew but it was a bit cramped. She watched as he used a dark liquid to make different patterns on the sheet. She couldn't comprehend what the patterns meant but he seemed to be very meticulous in his movements so she remained silent as he worked.
'I'm sure he called me to come over for a reason. I'll just have to be patient until I find out what it is.' Shiala thought.
After another five minutes of waiting though, she cleared her throat to get his attention. "Ahem"
Naruto looked up at her. "Oh, didn't see you there."
Shiala gave an annoyed reply. "I've been sitting here for almost ten minutes. How could you not see me?"
Naruto simply shrugged and turned his attention back to the paper.
Shiala threw her arms up in frustration at his nonchalance. "Well can you at least tell me what you called me here for?"
"Oh yea, I did didn't I?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Please tell me you didn't call me here for nothing."
"Why? It's not like you have anything better to do right now."
Shiala could admit that was true but she didn't want him to know that. "I can think of a dozen things that would be easily more entertaining than sitting here watching you paint."
Without looking up, he continued his efforts. "I doubt that." He glances over at her and motions towards the ink on the paper. "Besides, this 'paint' may be able to help you with your mental issues."
"I don't have mental issues!" She quickly blurted.
"Sure."
Not wanting to side track anymore, Shiala took a deep breath and steered Naruto back on topic. "So, what does the paint do?"
Naruto looked at her with a smile. "Well you know those voices you're hearing? My people had a technique that places a mental barrier around your brain, so to speak. I'm not certain this does anything for your situation but it's worth a shot wouldn't you say?"
Shiala raised an eyebrow skeptically. "This sounds a bit farfetched. How does a piece of paper do all that?"
Naruto moved the paper in between the two of them. He motioned for her to move in closer. Shiala sat across from him with her legs crossed waiting to hear his explanation.
"This ink is special. It is infused with dark energy or chakra as I call it. This is an ancient human art form the details of which I won't bore you with. To sum up though, the distinct patterns manipulate the dark energy in a way that allow you to do almost anything."
Shiala wasn't convinced. "I've seen many asari manipulate dark energy to do a lot of things but I can't say I've ever seen someone manipulate it into physical forms."
Naruto held out his palm and formed a rasengan in his hand. Shiala had never witnessed the sheer force of dark energy wound into such a small place. She could feel the power exuding from the orb. Absently she reached for it."
"I wouldn't do that, unless of course you don't like your fingers." Naruto warned as he powered down the violent sphere.
"That was amazing." Shiala focused back on reality after that unusual display. "But that doesn't really explain the ink."
Naruto shrugged. "Wasn't really supposed to explain so much as it was to show that dark energy can do a lot of things you may not have been aware of. Forming into physical shapes is one of them. The ink is a medium to hold the dark energy together. With it, I can then use it according to my people's ancient techniques. These patterns were proven to be able to manipulate the chakra in a certain way to achieve what you were after."
"Sounds like magic." Shiala muttered.
"In some ways. As much as we think we know about this universe it still holds back a lot of the truth from us. I've been alive for longer than any human that has ever existed and yet I've seen enough unexplainable phenomena to make a person go mad. It's not hard to figure out why people turn to religion for answers because we all want a grasp on our reality. There really is no way to understand it all though." Naruto mused.
"I thought humans didn't have long life spans?" Shiala asked.
Naruto chuckled. "I'm the exception. Most humans do only live about 150 years or so. I happen to have one of those rare unexplainable phenomena inside my body that keeps me alive for a lot longer."
Shiala sensed she wasn't getting more of him than that, so she turned back to the topic at hand. "Well how does it work then?"
"Once I finish this seal, for lack of a better term, I apply it to the base of your skull with chakra and it should take hold. Luckily, asari physiology isn't drastically different than humans for this purpose. Anything more complicated and I wouldn't know how to adapt it for your body."
"Sounds simple enough. What's the catch?" Shiala added.
"The catch is this is going to hurt... a lot. There's a foreign entity in your mind and we're attempting to block its connection if we can. I'm not certain how it will react." Naruto clapped his hands together. "So, you ready?"
"What? Now?!" Shiala leaned back with a shocked expression.
"No time like the present. We're going on a mission soon so I won't be around for a bit. Might as well see if this fails or not now."
"But don't I get to think about this?" Shiala nervously blurted out.
"The longer you think about it, the more ridiculous it will sound. Best to just do it and we can see if it works or not so we can try something else."
Shiala shook her head. "You're the worst doctor I've ever had."
"I'm more of a mad scientist than anything." Naruto added while touching his fingers together maniacally.
Shiala let her shoulders slump and resigned herself to her fate. "Alright I guess let's do it. What do you need me to do?"
Naruto looked around to make sure the floor was clear. "Ok, yea this will be enough. Let me just prepare the area."
The maintenance hole under the ship's nose that Naruto had commandeered for his sleeping area was only about three meters by three meters. He cleared a spot on the floor and rapidly drew a sealing circle with the many different runes needed to finalize his seal. His frantic pace was something to behold as he blurred over each spot. One would think that he'd have left a sloppy mess but each symbol was flawless in its detail. Once he was done, he turned back to Shiala.
"Ok, well there's no polite way to ask this so I need you to take your shirt off." Naruto calmly stated.
Shiala shrugged and unzipped her light armor suit. Without a care, she let it slide gently down her body until it collected in a pile on the floor. She gracefully stepped out of the armor at her feet and stood before him unashamed of her natural beauty.
Naruto, to his credit, kept his composure as best as he could. "You know, you only needed the top half of your body exposed."
Shiala gave a lithe smile. "Why, does it make you uncomfortable?"
Naruto gave a grin back. "Not at all. If anything it makes me too comfortable but I have no problems separating business from pleasure."
Shiala pouted. "Aww, too bad."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You are an odd duck."
"What is a duck?"
"Nothing. Human expression. Don't worry about it." Naruto refocused. "What I need you to do is sit in the center and try not to fidget as I draw these symbols on you."
She complied taking a seat with her legs folded underneath her in the center of the sealing circle. Naruto rapidly drew the many different symbols needed for the sealing process. He traced the runes down her arms and back, across her chest and down her torso till the pattern stretched to her feet. Shiala tried not to giggle as the brush lightly tickled her skin with each stroke. The lines of symbols all led to the base of her neck where he left a spot open for the seal he created on paper.
Naruto took a deep breath when he was finished the preparation. "Ok, now I'm going to place the seal on your neck and apply the chakra. This is the part that's going to hurt like a mother, so try to bear with it."
"I can deal with pain. I am an asari commando after all." Shiala boasted to hide her inner fear. She closed her eyes and waited for the procedure to start.
Naruto picked the seal up and began applying chakra to it through his hand. "Here goes nothing."
He slammed the seal into place and watched as the dark energy caused each symbol to glow brightly. Shiala's eyes shot open in agony. She tried to scream but couldn't due to the intense amount of pain she was feeling. Every sensory node on her body was burning like a thousand suns. Each second that passed felt like a wretched eternity. Just before she was ready to pass out though, the pain subsided and the symbols rushed across her body towards the back of her neck. With a burst of chakra, the seal took hold.
Shiala fell backwards into Naruto's lap exhausted. Her panting naked form sprawled across his legs as she tried to regain her bearings. After a minute or so, she could feel reality coming back to her.
"That was... intense." Shiala managed to get out as she carefully blinked her eyes.
"Yes, but did it work?" Naruto asked as he sat her up.
Shiala was reluctant to leave his embrace but brought herself back to the matter at hand. "I... I cannot tell yet. My mind is still screaming from the pain. I don't hear the voices but that does not mean they're gone yet."
"Well it's a start. Let's see how you feel when I get back from the mission. Take it easy in the meantime." Naruto stood up and stretched his limbs. "You might want to get dressed now too. If the gods have shown anything towards me, it's that they have a sense of humor when it comes to putting me into awkward situations."
Shiala smiled and wished she could tease him a bit more but her body was sore all over. "Well we'll have to have a... rain check is it?"
"Aww you're cute when you're trying to figure out human expressions. Like I said, I've got someone I'm interested in right now and I don't think she's interested in a threesome." Naruto gave a large smile with his eyes closed. "I've got to get ready."
Shiala had a small frown as she nodded. "Where are you headed if I may ask?"
Naruto gauged her reaction to see if she was probing or just genuinely curious. "Noveria."
Shiala's eyes lit up and her expression turned serious. "She is there."
Naruto waited for more but Shiala stood there with a betrayed look upon her face. "You going to elaborate or do I have to play the pronoun game and guess who you mean?"
"Lady Benezia. She is there. That was one of her assignments; to check the progress of Saren's research on Noveria." Shiala explained.
Naruto changed his demeanor as well. "Are you certain?"
"Yes. Saren ordered her to go and check on the progress of some creature they were growing." She looked straight into his eyes. "I am certain of this."
Naruto could see she was agitated and alert. Her heart rate had increased but it seemed more due to anger than deception. Her empathic waves showed no deceit. "Ok. I believe you. I need to tell Shepard this."
Shiala grabbed his arm still uncaring of her naked state. "Please, you have to convince the Commander to take me with you. I must confront her and redeem my honor for the harm I've caused."
Naruto ran his hand through his hair in contemplation. "I'll mention it to him. No promises. I'm still not 100% sure myself how trustworthy you are."
Shiala was desperate. She needed to face Benezia again and make things right. "I know I can't convince you through words. I would offer the mind meld but I know your reservations for that. You have to believe that I am genuine." She pleaded.
Naruto saw how much this meant to her. 'The seal should work but I'll have to be her babysitter if she comes.' He groaned. 'Ah fuck it.'
"Look, I'll ask Shepard but it's his call and I'm sure he'll pin this on me if you end up shooting everyone." He sighed dramatically "Fine. Just wait here and for gods sakes get dressed. Let me know if anything happens with the seal though like you change color... err... again or stop breathing or something. I'll be back in a bit."
Shiala could not contain the nervous energy exuding from every pore. 'Lady Benezia, I must stop you from the atrocity you wish to commit.'
She absently rubbed the back of her neck as she pulled her light armor back on. The seal was still fresh and what it represented was almost too good to be true. 'Could it really be that simple? I do not hear Sovereign's voice anymore. Will it come back when I confront my old comrades though?' She dared to hope.
Shepard exited his cabin in search of his blonde haired squad mate. He needed to make sure Naruto would be able to behave himself during the mission.
'He was probably just joking about the corporation thing before but this is too important to leave to chance.'
As he turned the corner towards the galley, he could see his target jogging out of the sleeping corridor. For once Naruto had a serious look on his face. Shepard was about to flag him down but he realized the blonde enigma was heading right towards him.
"Yo, we need to talk." Naruto stated.
"I was just going to say the same thing. My cabin?" Shepard offered.
Naruto just nodded with no witty comment.
'Hmm he is serious.' Shepard noted.
Shepard reentered his quarters with Naruto close behind him. The door slid shut and Naruto got right to the point.
"I just got done talking to Shiala." Naruto explained.
Shepard raised an eyebrow at that. "Really? Anything come of it?"
"Benezia is on Noveria."
That news hit Shepard square in the chest. The reality of what that phrase meant hit him full force. "She's positive?"
Naruto nodded.
"Damn it. I should have grilled her harder when she first came onboard." Shepard looked over at his intel and started to rethink his approach. "Ok, this mission just stepped up a notch. We need to assume her entire commando squad is with her. Possibly a Geth unit as well. Did Shiala say if Saren was there?"
Naruto shook his head in the negative. "She only said that Benezia was assigned a task from Saren on Noveria. Something about checking on an experiment. They're growing a creature of some kind. Maybe he's trying to clone an army."
"We don't want to speculate but whatever it is, I'm sure it's bad. We need to stop her before she can achieve her goal." Shepard added.
Naruto didn't like the situation. "You know we're going to need to tell Liara about this. We can't just blind side her once we're down there."
Shepard nodded. "I'll tell her."
"I think that's a good idea. She'll be more sympathetic to you. Maybe she won't freak out."
Shepard was staring at his desk going over how to tell Liara the bad news. 'I'll figure something out.'
"There's one other thing." Naruto began.
Shepard shook his head and turned back to the blonde. "What is it?"
Naruto was still thinking of the best way to approach the subject of Shiala with Shepard. "Shiala wants to come on the mission."
"Absolutely not. I can't have a wild card like her there. Who knows if she's still under Saren's control or not. I still worry about her on the ship let alone in battle with her old friends." Shepard made no room for argument.
"Well about that, I kind of placed a seal on her that should block out the mental connection Saren forced on her." Naruto explained.
Shepard narrowed his eyes. "You did what?"
"Look, she came to me asking for a way to block the voices. She said they don't control her but if she's hearing them, then the possibility is still there. I used one of my people's techniques to basically create a shield around her mind. Hopefully it blocks whatever is trying to control her."
Shepard still looked annoyed. "That sounds like a pretty in depth procedure. What if it went wrong? What if she had a side effect you never thought of? What if you killed her?"
"Look this isn't my first rodeo here, Shep. I know what I'm doing. I minimized the risk as much as possible. She wasn't in any real danger." Naruto tried to ease the commander's worries. 'Just a shit load of pain is all.'
"I'm sure whatever you did had something to do with dark energy. What if you tore a hole in the ship?" Shepard pressed.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "This is not that big a deal."
"Anything that happens on my ship out of the ordinary is a big deal." Shepard grilled. "I need to be able to trust you not to make rash decisions on your own which is why I wanted to talk to you about Noveria in the first place."
"Oh come on, Boss. Do I look like I'd do anything rash?" Naruto said with an unconvincing smile.
Shepard gave him an even glare in response.
"Alright alright. I get it. You're pissed because I didn't tell you. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision but at least I think it worked. We'll find out soon enough." Naruto tried to convince him.
"We'll come back to that later. With Noveria, I need your word that you will not cause an incident with any of the companies there."
Naruto rubbed his chin. "Define incident?"
"I'm serious." Shepard insisted.
"Fine fine. I can hold back for this mission but if I see something like child slaves or other heinous shit, all bets are off." Naruto stated. "And I do think Shiala should come along."
"She's a liability at best and a danger at worst. What if she turns on us mid battle?"
"I'll keep an eye on her." Naruto shrugged. "She is dead set on making amends for her wrongs. Plus she's an asari commando that knows the ins and outs of her old squad. Her knowledge could prove useful." Naruto added.
Shepard crossed his arms. "I don't like this."
"What's to like? She knows our enemy better than any of us and she is trained to handle herself. If my seal holds, she should be free from their control too."
Shepard turned back to look at the wall. "Can you guarantee she won't turn on us?"
"No but I promise if she tries anything, I will be right there to take care of it." Naruto added solemnly.
"Permanently if needed?" Shepard turned to look at his eyes.
Naruto sighed. "Yes if it eases your mind but I don't think it will come to that."
Shepard contemplated everything Naruto had said. Shiala would be a great asset for the team but he couldn't trust her like the others. She worked directly for Benezia and Saren. She admitted to being under their mind control. 'Time's running out though and our advantages are few and far between. I guess I have no choice here. I just hope Naruto knows what he's doing.'
"Alright. She can come."
"Sweet, I'll let her know."
"BUT I want you and Williams to watch her like a hawk. You three will be a squad. Do not let her out of your sight." Shepard ordered.
Naruto mock saluted. "Will do, boss."
Shepard shook his head. "This is a bad idea."
"You've had worse." Naruto mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Nothing! I'll see myself out." Naruto beat a hasty retreat out of Shepard's quarters.
Shepard sighed again. 'What have I got myself into here?'
He looked back at the clock on his omni tool. 'Guess I better let Liara know. I'm not sure how she's going to take this.'
Days earlier
On the frozen sphere known as Noveria, Port Hanshan is the capital and main hub of business. Every major corporation that rented space for their needs had an administrative office in the primary living structure. The towering spire rivaled some of the grand buildings of Illium or the Citadel in its design. It housed living quarters, hotels, malls, entertainment complexes and of course the work space for hundreds of thousands of beings. This is where a majority of the deals went down on the planet. It was all maintained by the Noveria Development Corporation, a multi-company unit that privately funded and chartered the entire colony.
Noveria falls outside of Citadel control and thus has a lot more freedom in how they operate their research and the laws they choose to follow in regards to it. The Executive Board of the NDC is made up of various trustees appointed by each of the donor companies to maintain order in the purely capitalistic world. The NDC goes to great lengths to maintain a hassle free environment for its clients to allow them the freedom to conduct their business but also establishes a standard that does not ruin the profitability for the overall colony. The system is very lenient on morals but strict to the bottom-line. This does not come without its own inordinate amount of red tape. To handle the day to day business of keeping each of these tech companies profitable but in-line, an administrator is appointed. This person is the de facto president of the planet with the power he or she is given.
Staring out at the ice-covered landscape through his large office window stands the current administrator of this corporate wild zone, Bel Anoleis. A salarian at an advanced age of 33, Anoleis had accomplished a great deal in his lifetime. He amassed a staggering amount of wealth through shrewd business tactics and careful legal planning. His keen intellect and expert knowledge of the various galactic legal systems made him an ideal candidate for the Administrator role in the eyes of the Executive Board. Anoleis however felt the position was beneath his talent and has sought more. He may have bit off more than he could chew though.
'People look at me and see a person of power but I am a slave just like the rest.' He sighed as he observed the frozen wasteland. 'I was supposed to make a legacy for my family to pass down. Money is fleeting. If my deeds are discovered, at best my family will be disgraced and at worst we'll all be dead.'
The Administrator was there to accommodate the Executive Board and the donor companies. He took the kickbacks where he was allowed knowing full well what the Executive Board considered the line. It was a boring but profitable existence. Like many that seek greatness though, he wanted more to pass down to his lineage. That's when Saren came along offering everything he dreamed of.
'Who wouldn't want to be invested in a new power in the galaxy on the ground floor? It all seemed so easy. Let Saren slide a little more than the rest and cover up any messes he caused.' He turned and stared up at the ceiling in contemplation. 'I guess you never realize you're working for the devil until it's too late. They'll hang me by my horns for sure if they find out what Saren has brought back.'
The research on Peak 15 was highly classified for good reason. If the Council ever found out about it, no amount of legal power would stop them from destroying the colony financially if not physically. The project had the potential to threaten the whole galaxy. It was becoming increasingly difficult to cover up Saren's actions. One of the more inquisitive managers Lorik Qui'in, a turian manager of Synthetic Insights, had managed to gather evidence on his transactions and could bring more scrutiny down upon Anoleis.
'Closing down Synthetic Insights is highly irregular and will be viewed as suspicious but I can't allow him to destroy all I've worked for.'
Anoleis buried Qui'in in paper work in an effort to buy time. The clever turian would find a way to tip the scales in his favor eventually but hopefully by then Anoleis would have the evidence destroyed.
He sat back at his desk and took a deep calming breath. He rarely had a moment of peace these days with the constant bombardment of demands. He had to hire an assistant to filter the trivial requests away from him. Gianna Parasini had come highly recommended through the sources he trusted. She had been a god send thus far taking a lot of the stress off of his shoulders. This allowed him to focus on the important tasks for the Executive Board to keep them appeased. He didn't want to purposely invite their ire.
'Sooner or later they will realize what I've done and come for me.' He scoffed. 'Hypocritical bastards. I won't let them destroy my work no matter how regretful I may be.'
A beep chirped on his omni-tool. He took a look at the request that scrolled across its screen. A fearful look filled his eyes. Anoleis quickly contacted his head of security to allow this VIP free passage. The quicker she went on her way the better.
'What is she doing here? I haven't received word of a scheduled visit.' He cursed. 'Damn it Saren. You put me in such a bind.'
Frantically, he typed orders into his omni-tool to accommodate the high priority visitor as quickly and efficiently as his staff could manage. He couldn't afford any more scrutiny right now.
'This deal gets worse all the time.'
Matriarch Benezia gracefully walked through the docking bay of Port Hanshan escorted by four of her loyal commandos. Ahead she could see a line for people waiting to enter through customs. Hundreds of would be entrepreneurs and important clients sat for hours waiting to be checked in and deemed okay to pass. She smoothly bypassed the line and made her way towards the entrance. At the guard station, she was greeted by the captain of the guard, Maeko Matsuo.
Captain Matsuo bowed deeply at the hip. "Greetings T'Soni-sama. Administrator Anoleis sends his best regards but was unable to greet you in person."
Benezia nodded politely with a disarming smile. "That is quite alright, my dear. I have urgent business to attend to anyway and would not be able to stay for a chat."
"Of course, T'Soni-sama. We were briefed on your agenda. We have arranged an escort to the Binary Helix facility on Peak 15." The captain explained.
"That won't be necessary. My commando unit will be a sufficient escort." Benezia clarified. "You can see that the cargo I have brought to the facility is quickly moved through customs without any harassment though."
Captain Matsuo was a bit hesitant but she knew Anoleis had ordered her to not hinder Matriarch Benezia in anyway. "As long as they pass the screening process, I will have our people give them priority to move through customs."
"Very well my dear. I thank you for your hospitality." Benezia offered a small bow.
The captain gave a respectful bow again and returned to her duties.
Benezia let her smile fall away after she was through the entrance. Without turning to any of her soldiers, she addressed her second in command.
"Niera. See to it the cargo is not delayed in any way. I want them deployed as soon as possible to keep anyone from entering the facility."
"Yes milady." With a curt nod, Niera went off to affirm her master's wishes.
They continued their walk through the plaza and ignored the star struck looks of the many business people they passed. Whispers of astonishment at seeing an Asari Matriarch fluttered through the grand room but Benezia paid them no heed.
'We will have completed our task long before word spreads that we were here.' She mused. 'I must return to Saren as soon as possible. This location of the Mu relay is vital to his goal.'
The ride to the Peak 15 facility was an uneventful one. The weather was hospitable enough to allow a transport ship to fly to the location. Her commandos made sure to secure the area when she arrived. A group of Krogan mercenaries hired by Binary Helix were guarding the entrance. They were expecting her arrival and allowed the group to pass. A long railway transported workers to and from the main facility in Peak 15. After taking the tram deep within the mountain, they arrived at the Binary Helix laboratories.
Benezia politely greeted the many scientists and guardsmen who felt the need to shower her with meaningless diatribe. 'A waste of time. I have no use for these pathetic beings. All that matters is completing Saren's dream. I need to complete my task quickly.'
She finally located her contact within the facility, Alestia Iallis.
"Greetings Matriarch." Alestia bowed deep and respectfully. "I trust your journey was well."
"Dispense with the pleasantries and follow me." Benezia ordered.
Alestia obediently followed. To the staff and scientists of the Peak 15 facility, Alestia was an up and coming asari scientist who recently graduated from one of Thessia's most prestigious universities. In reality though, she was one of Benezia's youngest and most talented commandos. Saren had ordered her stationed at the facility months ago to ensure the project went along according to plan.
Once they were in a secure room, Benezia turned to address her. "Report."
"The project is on schedule. After the initial batch was deemed a total loss, we've managed to yield increasing amounts with each new group. We've improved the growth rate 200% in the latest batch." She handed Benezia a data pad. "We can now yield fully grown soldiers within weeks. Tests have been ongoing for the past two weeks on the effectiveness of the creatures. Motor skills and combat capabilities are being documented. The scientists seem concerned though at their mental capacity. They exhibit isolated demonstrations of advanced cognitive reasoning and then revert back to basic instinctual thought processes just as quickly." Alestia summarized.
Benezia read over the report before she replied. "Do not underestimate them. They are a cunning race that was very difficult to defeat. I remember the tales from the elders in my youth. The Rachni were a species of nightmares." Benezia reminisced. "What is the status of the Queen?"
"She is stable but understandably agitated. I don't think she approved of the removal of her eggs." Alestia explained.
"It does not matter. Her knowledge is what I am after. Where is she being held?"
"She is in the secure lab."
"Take me there immediately and then return to your duties here. I do not want to be disturbed." Benezia ordered.
"It will be done milady."
As they took the elevators to the secure lab, Benezia knew on an instinctual level what she was about to do was incredibly wrong.
'To forcefully take a being's thoughts goes against everything I stand for and yet I am compelled to obey.' A growl echoed through her skull. 'I must obtain the knowledge on the Mu relay from the Queen. I cannot disobey.' She continued her mental struggle.
Despite her calm and focused outer appearance a war had been raging for months now inside her mind. The fatigue and lack of resistance clearly showed her losing the effort. A barren, shadowy wasteland stood where her once beautiful mindscape existed. The center of her psyche was now twisted and controlled by oily shadows. Their dark tendrils compelled her movements and thoughts; twisted them to conform to Saren's wishes. Her body, now a prison she could not escape. She desperately tried to stop the persistent takeover of her brain but nothing she attempted could halt the sinister force. The benevolent Matriarch could only slow it down for a time.
Further into her subconscious stood a single proud figure. A much younger version of Benezia resisted defiantly dressed in her old battle armor. Defiance had been fighting the battle for Benezia's mind nonstop with several of her other fellow attributes. Kindness and Sympathy were easily overrun in the initial onslaught. Their very natures were ripped apart by the trespassers. Rage fought back with unbridled violence but it only made her easier to subdue. She too was twisted and quickly crushed by the invaders. Defiance and Logic fought the good fight for months. Logic kept her mindscape intact while Defiance defended against the aggressive wraiths threatening her sanity. It was only a matter of time before Logic had finally relinquished her hold. That was the start of her blind obedience for Saren. Defiance was all that was left.
She retreated to the last refuge of rationality within her brain. Once there, Defiance erected the mental equivalent of a biotic barrier to repel the oily shadows. The barrier has become smaller and smaller with each passing day. Her will was still intact but fading rapidly. The dark forces relentlessly attacked her shield. A blaring tone demanded she submit now. The strain was visible in her last haven. The ground began to crack and buckle in spots. Her face was grim but determined. Her eyes smoldering with desire to stay sane for as long as she could bare it.
'I need to wait for the right moment to push back. I have no hope of surviving but I can warn the galaxy of Saren and the Reapers. I need to wait for my chance or all organic life is in jeopardy. These bastards won't shut me up without a fight. I will not go quietly into the night!'
The mental projection of her younger, defiant self angrily stood firm praying to the Goddess that her chance would come soon.
Present
Liara continued to pack her gear for the upcoming mission. She was not used to military life and had to check and recheck her equipment to make sure she had everything prepared for the mission ahead.
'Extra medi-gel, pistol, spectra analyzer, omni-tool, microscope... wait... no microscope. Goddess what else?' She was a bit nervous.
It did not occur to her in the previous missions the kind of danger they were going to be in. So as she got ready for Noveria, the reality of what she may face started to give her some jitters.
'I haven't seen this much combat since my training days with mother.' That thought gave her pause. She waved it off though. 'I'm sure I'll be fine. I have been able to contribute sufficiently so far. I just need to have confidence in my abilities. Shepard will see I am the right one for him... I mean right one for the job... mission. I am the right one for the mission... on Noveria. Why am I correcting my own mind?' Liara placed her hand on her forehead to sooth the headache that was forming.
It was becoming apparent to her that she was distracted. Her growing desires were normal for an adolescent Asari in her early 100's but she needed to speak her mind to Shepard. Liara had to let him know that she too was interested as he so eloquently stated. How she went about doing that was her quandary.
'Perhaps the Commander prefers a direct declaration. However, human females dress in something provocative to try to seduce their potential partners. Is that what he is expecting? Or should I just speak with him openly?' She sighed. 'What would be the best way to reveal my feelings to him?'
As she was contemplating this, the object of her desire entered the medical storage room to see her. She was still lost in thought and had not heard his entry.
Shepard quietly admired her graceful form. A small smile came to his face despite the news he was about to deliver. 'She looks so cute sitting there with a serious look on her face. I hope this doesn't upset her too much.'
"Penny for your thoughts?" Shepard interrupted.
Liara squeaked embarrassingly as she quickly turned to face her crush. "Shepard! I am sorry. I was not aware you had entered my domain."
'Not yet I haven't.' Shepard heard his renegade side chime in mentally. "Um, no I'm sorry to have startled you Liara. I just wanted to check in on you before we went on the mission."
Liara collected herself and smiled at him. "You do not need to worry over me, Commander. I will be prepared for whatever we may encounter."
"Just Shepard, Liara. My crew calls me Commander."
"But am I not part of your crew?" She worriedly replied.
"Of course you are but I'd like you to be a bit more than that." He gave a dashing grin.
Liara couldn't help the purplish tone her cheeks took on but to her credit she managed to give a sultry smile of her own in return. "I suppose I could call you Shepard then."
He was enjoying their simple exchange and didn't want to ruin it with the news he had to deliver. "Liara, there's something I need to tell you before we go on the mission."
Liara had a determined look on her face. Her courage from early was still there and she didn't want to miss another opportunity. 'It is now or never.'
"I too wanted to tell you something."
Shepard saw her face and knew it was important to her. He didn't want to interrupt her surge of confidence. "Alright, you first then."
She took a deep breath. "I think... well that is to say I feel... when an asari comes of age, they have urges and desires..." She shook her head. "No, no that's not how I wanted to say it." She turned towards the desk embarrassed at her awkwardness. "I apologize for my social inadequacies, Comman... er I mean Shepard."
Shepard moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Liara felt her body heat up by his action. A tingling sensation in her abdomen flittered up through her chest causing her to close her eyes and lean back into his embrace. The courage had returned and made its way to her lips.
She whispered sinfully in his ear. "I want you."
Turning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a gentle but firm kiss onto his lips. Shepard's shock soon gave way to his own cravings. He deepened the kiss eliciting a moan from the blue beauty. His mind was clouded with an overwhelming need to touch every part of her skin. His hands caressed Liara's back gently over her garment, moving sensually searching for something. He finally found what he was after near the nape of her neck. A zipper that was keeping her exquisite anatomy from him. While still battling her tongue for dominance, Shepard slowly pulled the deceitful contraption down her uniform exposing her delicious frame from its confines. Liara broke the kiss and audibly panted as Shepard continued to assault her neck with tiny pecks.
'Goddess, this is amazing.' She thought between breaths.
She wrapped a leg around his torso to gain leverage from his continued assault on her body. It wasn't until her singlet uniform was being pulled off her shoulders that her clarity returned.
"Shepard!" She breathlessly called. "I do not wish to stop... but don't we have to go on... the mission soon."
Shepard felt the fog of his mind lift and snapped back to reality. "You're right." He sighed. "Why do you have to be so practical, Liara?" He joked with her.
Luckily she understood his teasing. "Someone has to make sure you are thinking with the right head, Shepard."
His devilish grin sent more flutters up her bare spine. "Who says I wasn't?"
Liara gave him a small kiss as reassurance. "I do want to continue this later but perhaps some place more secure and when we have more time."
"I'll hold you to that." He said with a firm grasp on her back.
They separated and adjusted their apparel to make sure they were presentable again. As Liara zipped up her uniform once more, Shepard remembered the bad news he had to tell her.
With a sigh, he began. "Liara, I hate killing the mood completely but I had some information to tell you about Noveria."
She smiled at him. "I don't believe anything you could tell me would disrupt the feeling I have right now."
He really felt bad about it now. "Your mother is on Noveria. We will probably have to confront her to get what we're after."
Liara's face fell instantly. She knew this might eventually occur but the reality was here. There was simply no way for her to easily comprehend what was about to happen. "By the goddess..."
So like I said, a lot left to do on Noveria. My main delay has been trying to think of something more compelling than the canon plot. It was pretty straight forward and would be boring for people to re read. So stay tuned as I try something fresh.
As always please read and review because I live for feedback of all kinds. If you want to trash me, hey at least you took the time to do so. It means you care on some level. But I would prefer positive feedback if you can.
Thanks for reading.
