(Ben Shepard)

"Liara?"

Ben didn't hear an answer. He entered the storage area and looked around for Liara. She wasn't at her desk. Of course she wasn't, why would she be working after what happened?

A soft sound caught his attention, and Ben stopped to listen. He could hear a sniffling coming from behind a crate at the back of the room. Ben sighed. The sound was someone crying, and it wasn't hard to guess who.

He crossed to the other side of the room and peered around the crate. Liara was sitting on the floor, curled up into a ball. Tears were running freely down her face and her breathing was shallow.

"Hey."

Ben announced his presence softly. His heart ached when Liara didn't even look at him. She sobbed, "Leave me alone," and buried her face in her hands. He knelt down three feet away. "No."

"I know why you're here, Shepard." Liara's tone was bitter. She took a ragged breath and wiped her eyes. "But you shouldn't have to apologize. You did what you thought was the right thing. I just… need some time."

Ben had seen this before with other soldiers. Especially Sam. Liara seemed like she was trying to calm herself down. But if she just avoided even thinking about what happened to her mother it would keep gnawing at her for days. Even years. "Liara, I'm not letting you deal with this alone. No one should have to."

She finally glared at Ben with bloodshot eyes and snapped, "How could you understand what I'm 'dealing with'? You never had a mother." Liara's expression faltered, and she realized what she had said. "Shepard, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"You're right," Ben replied, cutting her off. "I don't understand. Sam and I still don't know either of our parents." This had always been hard for him to admit. But if talking about it helped Liara then Ben figured it was worth it.

"Growing up on Earth, it was just the two of us. I never knew what it was like to have a mom, or a dad." Ben heard his voice growing hoarse and forced himself to focus on Liara. "I don't know what you and Benezia shared, what you went through.

But I do understand what it means to grow up with someone. To love them. Knowing that you'd do anything for them." An image flashed through Ben's memory of his brother after Akuze.

"Afraid of losing them."

Ben blinked and realized his eyes were wet. He wiped them hastily and looked at Liara again. "And it's okay to be scared. That's how you know you love them." Her lip quivered as he said this. A second later Ben almost fell backwards when Liara crashed into him, burying her face in his shoulder.

He made sure to steady himself before returning the hug. Liara was crying even harder this time. Although she probably didn't understand it now, this would help in the long run.

Liara stayed locked in the hug with Ben for a good three minutes until she finally stopped shaking and pulled away. "Thank you, Shep... Ben." He gave her a friendly pat on the back.

"You think you'll be okay?" he asked. Liara slowed her breathing and nodded. "Yes. I will still need some time to myself. To mourn. Whatever she had become, Benezia was still my mother." She stood up and went back to her desk.

"However, that was… relieving. Thank you again." Ben nodded respectfully and turned to leave, but not before adding, "You should talk to Sam. He's pretty worried about you." Liara's face flushed. "With all due respect, Commander, I can handle that myself."

Ben's stomach turned as he realized what Liara was talking about. "Yeah… that." Trying to keep out the mental image of Sam and Liara half naked on the floor he said, "In the meantime meet me at the comm room in ten minutes. I want everyone up to speed on what's happened."

Liara replied, "Understood," and Ben began heading for the CIC to file the mission repot and report to the Council finally.

He and the crew had put a major dent in Saren's plan for the return of the Reapers. But losing his most powerful ally was only going to make him all the more determined.

This wasn't over, not by a long shot.

...

...

...

A Geth Prime strode powerfully onto Sovereign's bridge, where Saren Arterius was sitting alone. The former Spectre was resting his face in one hand, caught up in his own thoughts.

"Saren-Prophet?"

Saren raised his head slowly. "Any news from Noveria?" The geth's optic twitched, processing Saren's question. "Organics infiltrated the facility. The Rachni Queen is gone." His blue eyes widening in alarm, Saren rose from his chair. "The Queen is dead?"

The geth shook its 'head'. "Unknown. But this unit has identified the organics responsible. Liara T'soni and Shepard-Commander." The lighting of the bridge grew dim, and Saren stood quivering.

"What of Matriarch Benezia?"

The geth did not answer immediately. "What happened to her?" Saren asked again. His voice betrayed a hint of fear. From behind the geth emerged another turian, this one's features concealed by black armor. The turian bowed its head.

"Matriarch Benezia is dead," he rumbled.

Saren looked at his servant blankly. His mouth worked but no words came out. He almost collapsed back into his chair in horror. The geth's limbs whirred as it watched passively, awaiting some form of orders. Finally Saren rose to his full height and snarled, "She is dead. And you did nothing to save her? To bring her to me?"

The armored sniper shifted in place. "I received damage from the Shepards' squad when attempting to intercept them." He gestured to his armor, which Saren noticed was riddle with burns and bullet holes.

"Saren-Prophet. Perhaps we can intercept shipment of the bo-"

A jet of blue light flashed from Saren's hand and shattered the geth's head. Its body crumpled to the ground lifelessly while Saren advanced on the sniper. "I created you to serve a purpose. To kill Shepard."

Saren grabbed his servant by the neck. "Your failure has cost me dearly," he said angrily. "Return to your chamber, and contemplate this as I make further… adjustments to compensate for your weakness."

The sniper turned almost mechanically and obeyed him. When he was gone, Saren returned to his chair, visibly wilting. This was his fault. If he hadn't sent Benezia down to oversee the treatment of the Rachni Queen, she would still be alive. With him.

Throughout this entire affair the Matriarch had been his most faithful servant. No, not a servant. She was his companion. Perhaps the only friend Saren had left. And now she was gone.

"I should have been down there." The room trembled around Saren. A familiar buzzing sensation in the back of his mind caused the turian's fringe to stand on end. As he screwed his eyes shut in discomfort the pressure formed words.

-CONTINUE OUR MISSION. USE THE MU RELAY, FIND THE CONDUIT, AND YOU WILL HAVE YOUR REVENGE.-

Saren wrung his hands furiously. "I must eliminate them myself. Shepard cannot be allowed to hinder us any longer." Again, the pressure bore down on his consciousness.

-YOU WILL. THE CYCLE WILL CONTINUE.-

After several moments of agony the pressure on Saren's mind ceased. He dutifully nodded and activated a control panel, figuring he had to pass the time somehow.

His test subject had failed on Noveria. Once Saren was done with him, he would not fail again. Because next time, Saren would be there to see Shepard die.

Author's Note: This ends another section of the story. In the first, our heroes came together and the Shepards' relationship strengthened.

In this, we saw the start of a relationship between Sam Shepard and Liara, while Ben Shepard and Saren Arterius have grown all the more determined to see the other defeated.

In the chapters to come we'll see our crew's loyalty tested, we'll find out the true identity of Saren's assassin, and the threat of the Reapers will finally emerge.

Leave a review below if you like, and I'll see you 'round.