Two months later, T'Soni private residence, Thessia
She watched the growing light in her bedroom waiting for the moment the Sun would rise in a fiery glow over the ocean beginning another fine summer's day.
Liara was tired. She had had another broken night's sleep and the more tired she was the more her symptoms affected her. Moving slowly and deliberately she left the discomfort of her bed and made for the balcony.
One hand reflectively on her, now, very swollen belly and the other resting on the smooth railing she took deep steadying breathes.
She missed Shepard so much it was a physical ache somewhere in her soul. Their vid calls were still almost always daily her lover only missing if she was on a protracted mission away from the Normandy.
They talked about what they had been doing, would share amusing stories about their friends, crew members or Liara's extensive establishment of staff. They asked each other about sleeping; was it good, were there nightmares, were they getting enough. They asked each other about their general health, were they eating well. Was Shepard pushing her physical recovery too hard, were Liara's symptoms any better or changed as her pregnancy progressed.
Did the baby kick or dance that day, but she never told her bondmate how she was really feeling. She knew Shepard was doing the same thing. It would have been too hard to give voice to the deep and abiding need for her lover to be by her side during the last few weeks of pregnancy.
It was too hard, sometimes even to allow herself to feel the need she had to be close to Shepard. To talk to flesh and blood, sinew and bone rather than the hard-light projection that was a pale imitation of the real thing.
She was also incredibly proud of Shepard for the tireless work she was doing to secure their success in the coming war and searching for their son. Standing tall, even with all the responsibility and hope that lay heavy on her shoulders and her conscience.
As the sun drifted above the horizon tinting everything it touched with a golden hue she felt her daughter move under her hand. The connection between an asari parent and their daughter pre-birth was unique. After the ninth month a particular type of joining of minds was available.
It was emotional and not intellectual but it was known that the more mothers joined with their daughters in the last three months of pregnancy the more advanced the baby's development in its first few months of life.
Liara had felt less alone and somehow closer to Shepard once she started to connect with her daughter in that way as she did now. Closing her eyes and reaching out with her mind for the delicate, brilliant and shining light that grew within her.
She bathed them both in peace and love, sending reassurance and joy through the meld. Their connection was strong and Liara really, really wanted to meet her daughter in person. They had talked about the timing of the birth on their last call and the plan was for Shepard to return to Thessia in a little over a week after a visit to the Citadel.
A soft knock on her door brought her out of the meld and a small spell of dizziness and nausea prompted her to hold onto the railing with both hands and take more steadying breaths.
Matriarch T'Joan wrapped an arm around Liara's waist, "come sit down and I'll get you a light breakfast. It will help with the sickness."
She leaned into Seninnth and allowed herself to be led back inside.
Evening, Thrassican Republic mansion, Thessia
Liara and her two personal aides and her personal protection team, thankfully only three of them, walked through the great entrance hall and up one of the sweeping staircases.
She worked most of the time from her offices in the Republics administrative centre, the centrepiece of which was the imposing mansion. Shepard had explained once that it looks more like a modern palace and functioned in a similar way.
On Earth there were no more countries ruled by families but presidents had seemed to fill the role at least for their terms in office. The asari mix of e-democracy, election and inherited rights and responsibilities still confused many humans. The rest of the galaxy had long come to terms with the often inscrutable ways that asari society and politics worked.
Entering the dining room, she made her way to one of the medium sized tables where some of her executives were already seated. Her aides and security made their way to other tables but within close proximity in order to respond quickly if Lady Liara needed anything.
The concept of family for Asari was both specific and wide ranging. Asari who found themselves in places where there were few of their kind would almost always gravitate together, eat and sleep together. On Thessia and other Asari worlds life was much more communal, which didn't mean there was no privacy.
Bondmates and couples in a serious relationship would live together in their own space but it was always within a more connected community. Shared meals even for bondmates were taken more often than not. The community could be friends, neighbours or as was the case away from the cities blood family.
The Republics administrative capital was also settlement or more accurately a campus where all those who worked either directly on Republic business or indirectly to support its practical functions lived over long periods of time.
Where workers would bring their bondmates, if they were Asari, and raise their daughters. It was also home to any Thrassican who had fallen on hard times and needed to get a new start especially if they had been off world.
All the families of Thrassica had members working in the capital in various roles and this was also the political heart of the Republic. So, representatives all had accommodation here to use as they pleased.
At any one time the population of the settlement could be as high as five thousand, which included the large contingent of the Thrassican commando corp. The military tended to keep to their own area unless on duty or pursuing one of the maiden's or matron's.
Liara had struggled growing up with these aspects of her life on the estate either at Benezia's private residence or here at the mansion. But she realised now that was as much to do with her position and the expectations on her from her mother as it was her own personality.
On the whole she did prefer smaller more intimate groups, but that was true for plenty of Asari, what did mark her apart from most of her kind was her willingness to accept non-asari into her most intimate circle of chosen family and close friends.
She assumed that had been Shepard's influence and her time on the Normandy. Meeting her future bondmate created a seismic change in her life most importantly falling in love and finding out about the Reaper threat. That meeting and joining the Normandy crew had also saved her from her increasingly secluded and lonely life.
Liara realised someone had asked her question, "forgive me, what did you say?"
"Have you finalised your plans for the birth yet? Or set the day?" Ham'la worked in the wild spaces and habitats department and Liara loved her enthusiasm and dedication to ensuring the Republics wild habitats and natural reserves were not only protected but publicised as a great asset to Thessia.
"As soon as my bondmate return's," she smiled at her aide who had brought her food.
"At the temple or at home, oh the number of ocean births has been on the increase since the Larissa set started choosing that option," another of her executive team said. The conversation carried on about the merits of ocean or temple pools without much input from her.
Maidens of a certain age began to think about their perfect birthing almost as much as their bonding ceremony. Despite the ease with which asari could get pregnant and their long lifespan it was rare that they had more than ten daughters and they would normally be spread over their matron or early matriarch years.
Her mind had drifted again to thoughts of the birthing ceremony and her joy at the arrival of her and Shepard's daughter. But, as always, her happiness was tempered by the heartbreak of her lost son.
Late evening, Liara's private office, Thrassican capital mansion, Thessia
Liara leaned back in the chair and stretched her legs out under the desk. It was heaven to be bare footed. Perhaps she could get away without wearing any shoes from now until she had given birth.
Before she could think about what else she'd like to stop doing the vid call she was expecting announced its arrival and she hit receive on her comms console.
The face of an older human male appeared on her screen, possibly Anderson's age, she couldn't be sure. It was hard telling human ages once they hit maturity.
"Thank you for taking my call Doctor T'Soni."
"Now Alex we have had this conversation before, please call me Liara. And I am pleased to help in any way I can. The expedition is an exciting one. How can I help?"
"It seems a decision has been made that we are moving up the departure date of the mission so I won't have time to come and visit to talk through your approach to archaeology. I wondered if you'd have time to make some recordings, suggestions about how we could go about researching the history of our new home."
"I was looking forward to meeting with you, but of course I will find anything that I think may be of help to you in Andromeda. Your daughter Sara became interested in Prothean research when she was a peacekeeper I understand?"
"You are very well informed, yes and I think she would have enjoyed meeting you. But we are on an expedited schedule to get our journey underway," he paused and Liara knew this would be the real reason for his call, "you are of the same opinion as Commander Shepard… this extinction cycle?"
"Yes, all the evidence I have found relating to the end of the Prothean civilisation concurs… and of course there is more concrete evidence should anyone with an open mind wish to see it."
"There are a lot of asari corporations working on the project even though the Andromeda Initiative is led by a Jien Garson…"
"We are speaking in confidence so you can ask your question Alex."
"Mmgh, I know when we talked previously we touched on who was backing Garson and you didn't know. But… you seem to be well connected and I wondered if you could dig around a little. I'd just rather know who was making the decisions and why."
She was almost certain she knew who had stepped in and bank rolled the Andromeda Initiative when Garson was running out of credits and why; but she wasn't sure Alex Ryder needed to know.
"I will see what I can find out. How long before you leave."
"We're aiming for a month but it's likely to be two. They're starting to call everyone that's been selected to the staging station and we'll start phasing people into cryo as soon as we have a firm departure date."
"Then I will be sure to get my papers and recordings to you as quickly as I can."
"Thank you Doctor… Liara."
"Good luck Alex."
Aria T'Loak's private office, Afterlife, Omega
With her head resting against the back of the chair and her boots on the desk, Aria was almost comfortable enough to take a quick nap while she waited for her lieutenants to join her with their reports.
Since the incident on Thessia, the graphic dream she'd had about Benezia, Aria had not taken Ne'aira to her bed again. Nor had she been able to sleep properly without wearing herself out first. Not just to avoid any possible further dreams but also to stop thinking about what it meant and to avoid the feelings that it had freed from behind a wall of steel that she had spent half her life creating.
She chose to wear herself out by leading her mercs from the front on most operations to suppress what seemed to be an uprising on Omega. Of course, she also took two of her dancers to bed any night she felt at risk of more memories of Benezia.
Aria had sent Ne'aira back to Omega the morning after without any conversation or explanation. She was, after all, the Pirate Queen of Omega and had stopped explaining herself centuries ago.
She worried in part that it had been something to do with the strange connection she felt to the matron. Then dismissed the feeling completely believing there was no connection and that Ne'aira was just very good in bed and had managed to get behind a layer of Aria's protection.
Around and around the thoughts went, no conclusion, and it was not like her to second guess herself. The conversations on Thessia before she had been called back to Omega had only added more questions.
Why was Benezia suddenly appearing in her, Liara and Shepard's dreams? Was the presence she felt at her daughters bonding ceremony really Benezia, how could it be. Yes, the Siari cycle of life, rebirth and the spirit's energy re-joining the whole was what El'Estrene was leaning on. But that wasn't her belief.
All her time in the wilderness had eroded her belief in anything. The Matriarch's had condemned her to a life without ethics or morality so she had seen little point in holding onto stories of magic and wish fulfilment.
She had done the terrible things in the name of Thessia; she had traded her soul for duty and service. It had been hard in the beginning. She felt the pain, torture, death and fear that she had inflicted.
But she was good at it, the Matriarch's had chosen well, and over time she let her darker side grow. Finding pleasure in winning and power and destroying those who stood in her way. While she waited. While she waited to be allowed to go home to be with Benezia. When they had both finished their work for Thessia.
As the centuries rolled on she knew somewhere in her soul that she would never be done in the Terminus system. She was too good at her job. And the last remnants of her true self that had not been burned to bitter ashes knew she was too tainted to return. There was no home to go back to.
Then Benezia called her and she answered, immediately with no question or condition. Finally, they would be together and raise daughters. But that had been a lie, it wasn't over. One last mission Benezia had said, probably the most important one of her life. Then they could be together and Aria could come home.
She sat bolt upright and swept everything from her desk with an angry flash of biotic power. The memories, the feelings, the pain so long buried and channelled into her work was choking her. And it wouldn't be quieted.
At that moment a buzz at her door announced her crew were here and sitting back down she called them in.
If they noticed the contents of the desk scattered and broken across the floor no one said anything. They knew better.
Aria leaned back in her chair and placed her boots back on the desk and gave them a look that almost made them flinch and certainly made all three uncomfortable.
"Someone fucking speak before I punch you all through the wall," her tone was as hard as her eyes and predictable they all started talking at once, "enough."
Her last word was a loud shout. Which was very unusual as Aria T'Loak never had to raise her voice to be heard.
"Sorry boss, "predictably it was her most trusted lieutenant Grizz who spoke, "blood pack are refusing to have a sit down with eclipse leadership. Neither of them trusts the other to hold to any deals or cease fire."
"And the talons are taking full advantage of the chaos and increasing their control over larger areas of the lower levels," Sanak added not meeting Aria's eyes as she had a particular grudge against the talons. Although, that didn't stop her working with them after all business came first and she was happy to take her cut of their earnings.
Aria was silent for a moment trying to control her foul mood which really wasn't anything to do with the current war raging across her station, "what's the current death toll?"
This time her asari lieutenant answered, "thirty thousand with thousands more injured. Business, your business, is now being affected and there's a general feeling of unrest on the station. I think…"
"Go on it's about time I had something more than what I could hear on the station news network from those who are supposed to be running my fucking station."
"I think someone is behind this, stirring it up. We think the end game is to cause a huge civil war that will strain our security forces and make the station ripe for invasion or a take over from within."
Grizz and Sanak nodded their agreement and Aria sat back in her chair and laughed as her lieutenants looked bemused.
She stopped laughing and became instantly serious, "that much was fucking obvious when the fighting didn't die down after we intervened and everyone's profit started to suffer. I let this run in the hope that you geniuses would find out who was working against me. But I guess I'll just have to stop this before we lose too much muscle."
"Do you want us to bring Kreete and Jorath to a meeting?" Grizz understood there were two ways this would go down and a meeting had the chance of spilling less blood.
Aria stood and moved to get herself a drink, "no, I want to talk to Jana herself. Don't ask just snatch her from her cosy roost on the Citadel." She threw a shot of Turian brandy back in one and poured another, "for now bring me Gryll, quietly. And have a team ready to take Kreete out."
She wasn't going to speak to Jana Sedaris's lacky on the station even if she did head up operations across the Terminus system. And as for that crazy vorcha Kreete it was time for a more pliable leader of the Blood Pack. Gryll had proved useful in the past and she had plenty of dirt on him if she needed to keep him in line.
"Well," she said imperiously looking at the three still standing in front of her desk.
Grizz and Sanak moved to the door but Ne'aira only turned to face her, "the clinics are running short of supplies and have also been shot up a few times. Would be good to let them know you are looking out for the little people."
Aria nodded her head slowly and moved closer, "send our security to all the clinics and the main hospital and send supplies. Make sure they know who's looking after them," they were close now and she could feel the heat from the other asari, "and get that news station to remind everyone who's sorting this shit out."
Ne'aira just nodded her skin now flushed, her eyes growing heavy with desire, lips parting as she leaned closer. Aria felt lust surge through her body and gripped the younger asari on the back of her neck massaging the sensitive folds.
Crashing their lips together she pulled them into a sexual meld and started ripping clothes off both of them. She turned them and pushed her lover against her desk spreading thighs wide and plunging deep inside Ne'aira's wet hot core.
She kept her mind closed and only opened to the other asari on a sexual level. When they were done she gathered her clothes and moved towards her private bedroom but paused when Ne'aira spoke.
"I miss you Aria… and I'm sorry for whatever I did to drive you away," the voice was low and soft and she sensed the other asaris' sadness.
After a few moments she moved to stand in front of Ne'aira again, one hand holding her clothes, "it wasn't you… too much is happening right now and I don't want to let anyone close."
She let her fingers stroke the soft still flushed cheek and continued in a lighter tone, "and you do seem to be able to get under my defences."
"I felt something odd…"
"What do you mean," Aria dropped her hand and was going to demand an answer when she saw the fear on her face, "don't be afraid to tell me, what did you feel."
"I don't even know how to describe it. I've had multiple partner melds, meditation, spiritual and sexual of course… but… this felt different. It was only a shadow of someone else. But no one else was close enough so it must have been something I did… do you think I'm losing my mind or…"
Ne'aira looked terrified, her breath becoming shallow, eyes wide and staring at Aria as if expecting to be struck down.
"There's nothing wrong with you. I felt it as well… it's… complicated. But I think we might pay a visit to the consort as soon as Omega is quiet."
Yes, she would explore a much more reasonable explanation about the dream. The chemistry between her and Ne'aira had broken through her defences and called up a memory that was all. She'd find out just how well Sha'ira had trained this matron and why she had made the match.
Because without any doubt the consort had sent Ne'aira to her and it was time to find out why. And perhaps she had been premature isolating herself from the matron, she would just have to be careful when they joined that it didn't run too deep.
Captain's cabin, SSV Normandy, Horsehead Nebula
Shepard was struggling with the report she was trying to complete for the Council and Alliance Navy high command. She knew it was important and it would get done but there was something eating at her.
She had reviewed the mission reports, intel and data reports from the last two months. Then read again the overview and analysis that her intelligence team had put together. But there was something missing. Something was just out of reach, an itch that she just couldn't scratch in the back of her mind.
Goddess she missed Ish. Most salarian's who went into intelligence or information work were great with pattern recognition and making almost intuitive leaps that could reveal a full picture from only fragments. But Ish had been exceptional and his death was yet another she would carry on her conscience. Another that would be avenged with every fibre of her being until her last breath.
She also missed her quiet and nervous quarrian who was almost as good. But she couldn't justify dragging him around the Galaxy when he was doing important work for the Shadow Broker network.
Shepard closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair reviewing in her mind the activities of the last two months to see if it would shake something loose. Skipping through the recon missions that had them methodically search the outer reaches of known space. Off the charts space that had no easy access via the relay network looking for viable hiding places for supply dumps.
The trip across the border into Batarian space had been cut short when another set of coordinates, complete with schematics for the base, had pinged to her private channel. She and her team had treated it as a trap but all the intel had worked out.
They had now destroyed seven Cerberus bases, four of which had been straight up science and research centres. Complete with some gut churning experiments in progress. Even all the military bases had Reaper tech either in equipment, weaponry or most sickeningly implanted into what used to be human beings.
From what they had seen and the evidence they had gathered Harper was using Reaper tech with no regard to its indoctrination properties and most sickeningly was integrating it into human bodies and brains.
That was not a revelation. From when she was working with Cerberus his interests had been clear. But the scale of his operations was most concerning. She had no way to calculate how many bases he had but she was certainly only scratching the surface. And these bases seemed to be small hub's or outposts. They needed to find out where the main base was and take out the son of bitch directly.
She pulled her mind back from thinking about Harper because it always put her in a murderous rage which only diminished with hard exercise or a firefight.
'Think Shepard, what part of this are you missing,' furrowing her brows in concentration she pulled a data pad with the intel packages from her mysterious benefactor.
EDI's voice spoke softly into the quiet room, "is there anything I can help with Shepard?"
The ship's AI had already been through the intel packages and tried everything to decrypt the senders' first and only vid message with no success.
"I don't think so EDI, I'm not even sure I know what I'm looking for."
After a small pause there was a buzz on her cabin door and she absent-mindedly called out enter.
"Hey boss, just wanted to check your orders for crew leave on the Citadel."
Shepard turned in her chair and looked at her executive officer allowing a smile to curl the edges of her lips.
"Well LC we are going to park the Normandy somewhere safe, I'm going to spend as little time as possible talking to politicians and Alliance brass," she stood and with a wide grin said, "then I'm going home to the birth of my first daughter."
Tash returned the grin and nodded her head, "you won't mind me and Leece sharing your ride. She is so stoked about the whole thing; I think they've been talking every day the last few weeks."
"Of course, we'll use one of the attack shuttles. Does Liselle have any idea what I could get as a present I have no…" a series of pings from her omni tool cut her question short.
Tash looked serious, "is it them?"
Shepard nodded and before she hit receive said, "EDI do your best to trace it and scrub it."
"Yes Shepard."
Then, standing shoulder to shoulder with Tash so she could also see the screen, she answered the call.
"I hope you found the information I've been sending you helpful," the visuals and voice were as distorted as the first time.
"Yes, you know they have, but I still want to know who I'm dealing with," Shepard considered whether she should ask this stranger for anything but decided she had little to lose, "If you really want to help you could give me the coordinates for where they are holding my son, or Harper's current whereabouts."
She thought she recognised a short laugh through the static before the stranger answered her, "Yeah you and me both, but it's complicated. I have to follow threads and every time you blow the shit out of a base I get closer to the centre."
Shepard and Tash looked at each other as EDI said over private comms, "The message encryption is not of the same level and I have tracked its origin to the Citadel."
Before she could say anything, her caller spoke again, "so by now you should have tracked my signal to the Citadel, it's probably time we met. Our next move will require more coordination."
"Ok, where?"
"You remember that time you and Garrus had that can shooting contest, one of the service bridges," the caller paused.
"How do you know about that?"
"I'll explain when we meet, but with Garrus on Thessia you'll probably want your second-best sniper stationed somewhere as cover because you know I'm going to ask we meet alone… and before you try to argue with me this is non-negotiable."
Tash was shaking her head vigorously not knowing exactly the spot they were talking about but the service bridges were over a mile high and only wide enough for the maintenance bots to run along and just enough space for a shuttle to land on."
"And I assume you'll have someone watching me through a set of cross hairs?"
"No Shepard, if I wanted you dead I could have done it many times over. You need to see me on your own for your sake more than mine. I'll send you the exact location and time when I'm ready."
With that the call ended.
"EDI?" Shepard didn't need to explain what she wanted.
"Only the location, but I will try again to scrub the image and voice."
"You can't do this, what if it's a trap, all these coordinates were just to get you on side," Tash's concern was clear on her face. "You know Harper is willing to sacrifice people for his grand plans."
"What choice do I have? I need to know how they got access to my private comms codes. If they have those what else do they have."
"Well if they are already on the bridge what's to stop you landing with a full team in the shuttle, I'm assuming that's the only access?"
"You'll have your weapon trained on them the whole time, I'll be on comms with EDI, and I'll wear full armour and have my shields up. I'll take those odds."
They moved towards the elevator, Shepard grabbing her cap on the way, and once inside punched the key for the command deck.
"Hang on a minute… you want me there so does that mean you think I'm your second-best sniper," Tash almost pouted, "I could beat Garrus on any terms."
Shepard laughed and didn't say anything; sniper's egos seemed to be so fragile. After all anyone who had been paying attention knew she was the best sniper on or off the Normandy.
Two days later, shuttle pad, Citadel
Shepard did a final check on her comms as she walked to one of the Citadel taxi shuttles.
"Tash are you in position."
"Yeah, and your friend is already waiting. Shuttle off to the side with all the doors open. And your guest is standing in the middle of the gantry pretty close to the edge."
"Ok, just firing up the shuttle now."
"For the record and one last time I really, really don't like this. And if anything happens to you I'm going to deny any knowledge and blame it all on EDI, sorry EDI but I really don't want to be on the receiving end of Liara's rage."
"Apology accepted Tash. For the record I am… uncomfortable with the situation also."
"Wow EDI uncomfortable, that's a new one, I'll let Joker know you may need some TLC."
"If the two of you have finished chatting I'm about to land. I've checked the other shuttle and I can't see anyone or anything in it."
"Copy that boss; I have my cross hairs trained between their shoulder blades. One false move and they're toast."
Shepard settled the shuttle down close to the lone figure, switched off the power and stepped out.
She walked slowly towards the human who was a little shorter than she was. Well built from what she could see through the leather jacket and loose hoody. They wore a baseball cap pulled low over their eyes, the hood up over it and a scarf covering the lower half of their face.
"You may want to switch off your recording device and comms until you decide what you want to do with me."
Shepard stood stock still her heart rate increasing, hand reflectively going for the pistol on her hip. That voice. She knew that voice. When the stranger looked up and pulled down the scarf her breath caught in her throat as she looked into her own face.
