A/N: Fair Warning people, this chapter should be considered M rated both for suggested content, language and (attempted) description of gore. I don't think anyone will feel uncomfortable with this chapter but i felt i needed to warn you and this one chapter i dont feel justify bumping the entire story up a rating.
"It makes for quite the sight doesn't it?"
Echo's voice broke the silence that was plaguing the brig. Liara was standing by herself and staring at the three captured Commandos as their unconscious forms were sprawled out over the cell floor.
"I must admit to finding it disturbing that so many have fallen to Saren's words" mumbled Liara
"There are things involved in this that you are not aware of Liara, so do not be so quick as to judge others before getting all the facts" Echo replied
"Why did we capture my mother?" asked Liara like she hadn't heard him
Echo looked back towards the door and gave a passing thought to Ashley whom he had walked by on his way here; she had been wearing quite the sad expression on her face that was mixed with a bit of anger as well.
"Because I wished to speak with her" replied Echo
"About what?"
"Your golden biotics for one and information about Saren for another"
"What makes you think my mother would know anything about what happened?"
"Call it a hunch"
The doors behind them gave a swoosh as they opened to reveal a curious looking Shepard.
"Okay Echo what the hell did you mean when you said you were going to cure Benezia?" demanded Shepard
"Cure my mother?" asked Liara in a confused tone
Echo looked at both of them before he stepped close to the cell containing Benezia's still form and bending down to stare directly into her closed eyes.
"Your mother is not in control of her own mind…" began Echo
"What do you mean?" asked Liara
"She is under the influence of Saren; Indoctrination is the word for it" replied Echo
"You mean to tell me she was brainwashed?" interrupted Shepard
"I think I should explain just what I know about Indoctrination… specifically where it truly comes from" said Echo
"More secrets?" asked Shepard a little offended
"I keep my secrets because you are not ready to hear them" began Echo "Indoctrination… at least the one Benezia and her Commandos suffer from does not originate from Saren himself… it originates from his ship"
"What?" Shepard blurted out
"Though Saren is indeed a charismatic individual and is capable of swaying plenty of people with words he does not command a strong enough presence to brainwash those who follow him. I suppose it is time the truth came out about why I am hunting Saren's ship… its name is Sovereign and it's a living Reaper…" Echo said carefully
"What?! You mean to tell me that his flagship is an actual Reaper?!" yelled Shepard
"Yes… I cannot tell you how important it is for us to destroy that thing, in truth I have no immediate idea why it is here or how it got here in any capacity but the only thing I am concerned about is that this one Reaper doesn't bring about the return of the rest of them" replied Echo in a deadly calm voice
"But how? I mean how have no one noticed or done something how did it even get here?" rambled Shepard
"The Reapers haven't been seen for 50.000 years, Shepard. The belief that Sovereign is nothing more but a giant geth construct seems a lot more feasible. As for how it got here? I have no idea but I assume it either never left after the last time they were seen or perhaps it simply flew here over a longer amount of time" replied Echo
"And how long have you known this?" asked Shepard in a now slightly more angry tone
"Ever since I stepped aboard your ship. Before you go on another rant, I didn't tell you because it would have skewed your perception of events and I couldn't risk you losing your focus. But now we are closing in on Saren and soon enough we might have to come face to face with either him or Sovereign so you needed to know what we could be facing" replied Echo
"You and your secrets are going to get us killed, you know that right?" Shepard accused
"If my secrets are kept properly then I assume it is one of them that will save us as well" Echo defended
"As fascinating as it is to finally learn a bit more about the Reapers and even that one is here I would really like to know how you are intending to cure my mother of this indoctrination" interrupted Liara
The debate that was brewing died down as soon as Liara had spoken and the two parties turned and stared at Benezia for a short while until she began stirring and showing signs of waking up.
"Give me a moment to speak with her" asked Echo as he stepped up to the energy barrier separating them.
Benezia slowly returned to consciousness only for the first thing her gaze landed on to be one of the people she had been fighting or at least that is as far as she can remember.
"Where am I?" asked Benezia in a hazy tone
"Aboard the Normandy, in the brig to be specific" replied Echo
"You captured me alive?... fools" she muttered
"What is foolish is your devotion to Saren and his cause" countered Echo
"You know not of what you speak! Saren's light fills my mind and everything has become clear to me!" Benezia yelled through gritted teeth
Echo stood back up and regarded Benezia for a moment. She had been under the Indoctrination effect for a long time and he wasn't sure just how deeply rooted it was this time. In the game she had managed to break free but yet here he doubted that she could do it again…
"What is it Echo?" asked Shepard
"… Her mind is clouded and confused, more so than I previously thought. I hoped to somehow bring out the Benezia that had been suppressed by the indoctrination but it seems it is too late" replied Echo
"I-Is there no way to save her?" asked Liara as she felt tears sting at her eyes
Echo gave a nod "There is. Not a very pleasant one but there is. I will be back momentarily" he said as he turned and began walking towards the door.
"That what you went looking for a few days ago?" asked Shepard as he passed her
"That and something else" Echo responded as the door closed behind him.
The two women stood in silence for a few minutes as each contemplated the situation. Liara was desperately hoping that her mother would be cured and that she wouldn't have to kill her. Shepard was more focused on how they were going to handle the fallout that would follow the revelation that Benezia had been captured.
"What do you think he is going to do?" asked Liara
"I don't know… he doesn't really share his plans with anyone and most of the time I just try and ensure the fallout goes in our favor" replied Shepard with a grin
Liara nodded and the two returned to silence as they watched the group of knocked out Commandos lying in their cell.
"You knew her didn't you?" asked Shepard pointing to one particular Commando
Liara stiffened slightly as her face contorted and a blush presented itself at the same time
"Me and Lienth have a history together, yes" muttered Liara in reply
"From the way you are acting I take it you didn't exactly split on good terms?"
"*sigh* That is the understatement of the decade Shepard"
"Want to tell me what happened?"
"We wanted separate things in life and the ensuing debate went badly, nothing more to tell"
"Alright"
The doors opened once more to reveal Echo carrying a large object in his arms, a sphere of sort.
"This is what is supposed to cure my mother?" asked Liara
"*Nod* That it is, though I will have to ask you to leave me alone with her for now. In truth I don't have perfect control of what is going to happen and I don't want you two caught in it" said Echo
"Caught in it?" muttered Liara with a furrowed brow
"*sigh* Indoctrination works by enslaving the mind, this object does the same thing. The only difference is that I can actually release the indoctrination effect again and thus leaving the individual back in full control" Echo replied to the unasked question
"So what you are saying if this goes wrong Benezia will simply be under your control instead of Saren's?" asked Shepard with a dangerous look in her eyes
"I suppose that is true, but if it fails I suppose the only solution left is to kill Benezia. Living a life while watching your own body from the outside is a horrible existence to condemn someone too"
"So either this works or we have to kill my mother?!" yelled Liara with wide eyes
"Yes!" yelled Echo in a dangerous tone "Do not be mistaken that had I not requested her capture and thus survival we would have executed her back on Noveria so spare me the rant!"
Both women took a step back at the harsh tone Echo had taken, both had heard it before but this time it felt much more focused… like the alternative was to horrible for him to imagine…
"Fine…" mumbled Liara as she turned and left the brig
"This better work Marc" stated Shepard before she too turned and left the room
Echo watched the closed door for a few seconds before he turned towards Benezia and stared at her with a dead look.
"Just you and me now Benezia" he muttered darkly
"Do your worst" replied Benezia while standing straight
Echo put the orb down in front of the energy wall separating the two and placed his hand on it.
'Lily, you there?' asked Echo in his mind
'I am here Ascended, is it time?' replied Lily's soothing voice
'Yes, you should be able to feel quite a few indoctrinated minds around me but only the one in front of me needs to be purged' thought Echo
'Indeed there are plenty… though the one in front of you is the worst of them…' replied Lily
'So can you do it?' asked Echo
'It will be painful but I can'
'Then do it'
Echo took a step backwards from the sphere and watched in wonder as it slowly began pulsing with energy…
…
…
…
…
"ARGH!"
Benezia fell to floor screaming while clutching her head. Her body was convulsing and thrashing around while her eyes were opened as far as they could go and almost seemed like they would pop, her teeth were gritted and the sound of bone grinding on bone could be heard…
Echo watched it all without blinking, he had seen far worse and suffered even more but he still felt uncomfortable with staring at it happen to someone else.
It took a while but eventually Benezia began calming down and her wild movements reduced to occasional flinches and the occasional spasm.
'It is done, her mind is under my control' came Lily's voice in Echo's mind
'Release her then and let it be done' replied Echo
'Are you certain Ascended? She could be a powerful tool…'
'You will release this instant or I will have no problem seeing your race extinct!' roared Echo in his mind in retort
He felt Lily recoil from his mind and allowed himself to calm down a little.
'My apologies Lily, but I detest using mind control on those I know tried to do the right thing…'
'Do not worry Ascended. I understand your distaste…'
'Really? I find it hard to believe that'
'Even among the Apex Race there are those of us who felt we were doing more harm than good when we enslaved the lesser races to serve as our vassals'
'I take it you were one of them then?'
'Indeed I am…'
'Free her then and let us move on'
'As you wish'
Lily dropped her control over Benezia's mind and said woman flopped to ground in a dead faint as her mind was suddenly left with no other presence or voice than her own.
It didn't take long to bring her back to the land of the living and it was quite visible to Echo that she wasn't feeling too well, either mentally or physically.
"What happened?" asked Benezia when she finally felt well enough to speak
"You tell me, feel any different?" asked Echo in return
Benezia's eyes widened as she searched her mind for what he could be talking about only to realize she was doing just that… her mind… no one else's, only hers… she was free.
Echo was not ready when Benezia's arms suddenly flew around his neck and pulled him down into a hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Benezia cried into his shoulder
Slightly perplexed from the entire thing Echo let Benezia cry and laugh as she slowly came to terms with being free once again. When she finally calmed down enough to seem capable of sensible speech Echo gave her a small grin
"Feels good to be back in control doesn't it?" he asked with a grin
"To finally have the haze lifted and once more see the world with my own eyes? It is fantastic beyond explanation" she replied with her own grin
Echo lifted them both off the floor and sat them down in the bed that was in Benezia's cell. He took a few moments to formulate himself inside his mind so he didn't give up something he didn't want to.
"I want to ask you some questions before I allow Shepard and Liara back in here" started Echo
"I promise I am fully in control and will do nothing to harm them" said Benezia in a hasty tone
"Of that I am aware, had I not believed so you wouldn't be alive at this moment" replied Echo which caused Benezia to nod once "Now if I may continue. There are a few subjects I would like to talk to you about before anyone else comes in here, for now simply know that anything you and I talk about will never reach anyone else unless I deem it extremely necessary" finished Echo
"I understand, what do you wish to know?"
"Let's start with Saren and his plans, how much can you tell me?"
"Not much I'm afraid, all I know is that he is after something he calls the conduit and he needed the coordinates from the Rachni Queen's genetic memory to get to it"
'Those coordinates lead to the Mu Relay… but I am not supposed to know that'
"Where do these coordinates lead?"
"To a long thought lost Relay called the Mu Relay, supposedly it leads to wherever the Conduit is being held"
"Did Saren get the information?"
"He did, I managed to send it to him not long before you arrived"
"Damn…"
"May I ask a question in return?"
"Go ahead"
"Why did you wish to save me?"
Echo blinked a few times and scratched his head in thought
"I wanted to speak with you about Saren mostly, in truth I think we might still be able to get through to him some way but I don't know how…"
"You think Saren can be dissuaded from his course?"
"You don't?"
"It was my very reason for joining him in the first place… but the longer I was there the more his poison spread in my mind"
"But you do think there is a chance to save him?"
"Yes… though I am not sure how that would be possible"
"Hmm… I'm sure there is a way. But on to the other thing that I found that I wish to know about… your daughters golden biotics"
Benezia's eyes closed momentarily as she breathed out a sigh.
"I must admit I do not know as much about it as I perhaps wished too, she inherited it from her father and not myself"
"You never asked just where your partner got it from?"
"Of course I did, all she could tell me was that it had been passed down from parent to child for as long as her family could remember"
'And I will bet if we go far enough back her and I will have a connection…' Echo thought privately
"Could I perhaps ask another question?"
Echo gave a nod
"How is my daughter doing?"
A small chuckle escaped him as Echo began thinking over the question, so much had happened in the short time he had known the crew and he really wasn't sure where to start on Liara.
"Honestly I don't know where to start; I think you should ask her. But as far as I know she is doing just fine"
Benezia smiled at the answer and gave a small nod, it would seem her little wing was doing just fine.
"I am quite curious as to how you freed my mind…" began Benezia carefully
Echo pointed towards the sphere outside the cell "I used that, nothing more you need to know other than I will be curing the three commando's in the next cell as well"
"I see… thank you"
"Think nothing of it" Echo rose and walked towards the door to the brig "Now how about you get some time to catch up with Liara?" asked Echo with a grin
"I would like that very much" replied Benezia
Echo nodded and opened the door to the waiting pair of Shepard and Liara. He didn't even have to speak as he simply gave a nod to Liara and watched as she darted to her mother and almost tackled her in a tearful hug.
His own arms found their way around Shepard's body and the two stood and watched as mother and daughter was reunited after god knows how long.
"It's good to see that moments like this is still possible" mumbled Echo
"It's what we fight for each day" replied Shepard
Echo smiled as he held around Shepard a little tighter as they listened in on Liara trying to sum up her entire life since her mother left while also trying to convene just how much she missed her all at the same time.
"I think I should stop her before she dies of oxygen deprivation" said Shepard
"*Snort* she's a scientist, she can speak until time stops and still have air to spare" replied Echo
Shepard gave a small laugh as she separated herself from Echo and walked up to place a hand on Liara's shoulder.
"Maybe I should get my questions out of the way and then you two can catch up?" asked Shepard with a raised eyebrow and small smile
Liara blushed ever so slightly "Of course Shepard, I'm just excited to have my mother back" replied Liara
Shepard turned towards Benezia and asked her first question. The two spent a good hour talking about everything that Benezia could possibly think of in regards to Saren and his potential plans, after that it simply turned into a big round of "20 questions" the two would trade questions and answers on just about every subject until Shepard finally ran out.
"Right I think that's good enough for now, we'll leave you two to catch up" said Shepard
"Thank you Commander" Benezia replied with a smile
With a wave Shepard left and pulled Echo alongside her, the last thing the two heard before the door closing was Benezia asking a question and then laughing loudly, presumably because of Liara's expression.
"Haaah… that's one insane event out of the way" breathed Shepard
"Only a thousand to go" quipped Echo
"*Sigh* it's a sad day when I have to agree with that"
"Hahaha I think we could both use some a good rest"
"I could definently go for some stress relief right now…" said Shepard with a grin which Echo returned
It was some six hours later that Marc and Sarah emerged from Sarah's quarters, both now feeling quite relaxed and ready to get some practice in. Though the duo didn't get very far due to a lone member sitting in the darkened mess hall, a glass of whisky in front of her and a head hung slightly from the effect of said drink.
"Ash?" asked Shepard as the two approached the table and got a better look
Ashley looked up at the two for a few brief moments
"*sigh* Hey skipper, want a drink?" inquired the tired gunnery chief
The duo looked at each other for a short second before Sarah sat down and Marc went to grab two more glasses. He returned and sat down before filling Sarah's and his own glass.
"So what is driving you up the wall Ashley?" asked Marc
Ashley looked at him with a strained expression that conveyed just how confused she was feeling at the moment
"I don't know anymore…" replied Ashley
"Liara?" tried Shepard
"*Nod* I don't know what is going on between us" said Ashley
"You love her" replied Marc in a stoic tone
"What?" asked Ashley in surprise
"Love, miss Williams, I hope you know the concept?" asked Marc with a cheeky grin
"Of course I know! I mean what makes you think I love Li?" countered Ashley in slight anger
"You just called her "Li" for one, that and you two can't keep your eyes or hands off each other" interrupted Sarah with an equal grin
Ashley's eyes fluttered for a few seconds as she imitated a gold fish while her brain tried to fuse together what the two in front of her just said with her own emotions running rampant through her mind
"I-I-I love her?" mouthed Ashley
"It happens" said Marc
"B-but I don't… how did… when did I… can it even work?" rambled Ashley
"*Shrug* A good thing only comes around once a lifetime, you owe yourself to see if you just found yours"
Once the words had left his mouth Marc's face took a dark turn as pain flashed across his eyes for a few seconds, but that was long enough for both women to see it.
'His wife still haunts him… I knew he wasn't alright' thought Shepard as she watched him
"Maybe… thank you for the advice, I better go sleep before my shift starts" said Ashley as she got up and left
Shepard leaned over and gave Marc a quick kiss on the cheek before standing up as well "I have to brief the council, we'll meet down at your ship for training afterwards okay?"
"Yeah…" replied Marc in a dead tone as Shepard walked away
Moments later Marc stood up and walked down to his ship where he sat in silence and tried to sort his mind out once again, he was quite sure he would be having nightmares again.
Some hours later the ground team had gathered down in the brig, the were there to debate what they were going to do about Benezia as Shepard had not revealed her survival to the Council
"I still don't get why you didn't tell them" said Garrus
"Because I don't know how they would take it, they gave me enough trouble for releasing the Rachni Queen and I have no intent of turning over Benezia to a potential execution" replied Shepard
"So what are we going to do with her?" asked Wrex
"That's why we are here, to figure that out" replied Shepard
"Well we don't exactly have much choice do we? One way or another we have to get her off the ship before one of the crew gets a bit too curious" said Ashley
"We could hide her somewhere?" proposed Liara
"That could work but where would we put her?" countered Marc
"Not a lot of planets for reformed Saren followers" joked Garrus
"… that would have been way too convenient Garrus" said Marc
The group kept bouncing ideas back and forth not realizing that Benezia was standing there and listening and grew steadily more worried as they kept coming up with insane idea to insane idea and every so often her daughter would look at her with a look that just screamed "Aliens are insane" and she could only nod in agreement each time, finally she had enough
"Excuse me" said Benezia effectively silencing everyone
"Yes?" asked Marc
"I believe I might have the solution to your conundrum" said Benezia
"I'm open to any solution by now" muttered Shepard
"Why not fake my death?" suggested Benezia
"… why didn't anyone think of that before her?" asked Garrus to everyone
"Because we are a bunch of morons" replied Shepard
"In any case it's a good idea but still leaves the same problem, where do we leave you once we have faked your death?" asked Marc
"I could go live with my dad once more" said Benezia
"Gramps place?" asked Liara using the name she used when she was a kid to describe the man
"Why not? I presume he still lives out in the Thessian forest; no one comes to visit except for a few family friends and the Asari Keeper" replied Benezia
"Sorry but who are you two talking about?" asked a very confused Marc
"My father of course, he still lives on Thessia and I am quite sure that he will take me in until we find a way for me to reenter the world" replied Benezia
"What race is your father?" asked an equally confused Shepard
"Ehm… I'm not quite sure I should reveal that, papa always said that subject was sensitive" replied Benezia with a shaky voice
Shepard, Ashley, Kaidan and Marc being the only humans in the room all knew right as soon as she used the word "Papa" what race he was.
"Human" they said in unison
"What?! How do you know?" asked Benezia with wide eyes
"Papa is a word only used by humans, or at least that is what humans from specific parts of earth would use to describe their own fathers" replied Shepard
"One thing doesn't fit though… for a human to be your father you would either have to be somewhere around 80 years old, and since Liara over there is only a 106 and the fact that you are a Matriarch means you must be somewhere between 800-1000 years old… that would mean that your dad would be…" began Marc
"Papa is almost 2000 years old" interrupted Benezia
"What?!" yelled Marc
"How is that possible?" asked Shepard
"Spirits…" muttered Garrus
"How in the hell did he… I mean how can… no it shouldn't be…." Marc was rambling like a mad man as his mind tried to process just what the hell was going on
"This is why father didn't want it spread around…" muttered Benezia while rubbing her eyes
"But I think you are right mother, gramps would most likely take you in for a while. I'm sure the Asari councilor would agree that it is a good idea too" said Liara in between the chaos
"Wait the Asari Councilor knows about him?" asked Shepard as she snapped from her daze
"Of course, every Asari Councilor and Asari Keeper is told who my father is. He did help shape Thessia over the past two thousand years after all" replied Benezia
"He did a what now?" asked Marc now really confused
"My father was very intrigued by Asari architecture so he used my mother as a way to get his ideas to the Asari government, worked like a charm. Mom became a world renowned architect and papa helped us improve on a few design flaws" replied Benezia with a nostalgic smile on her face
"Gramps was one of the people who got me into archeology too, whenever we went to visit him he would tell me grand stories about the Prothean and eventually I just wanted to know more than he could tell me" said Liara with the same smile as her mother
It was all well and great that no one could see into Marc's mind or they would have seen a frantic panicked individual. The very thought that a two thousand year old human existed on Thessia blew his mind and even more so that this person had an influence on Thessia… just what in the hell… he couldn't be like him and Karick could he?
'Wait… Karick! He and I were sent here to find someone… Eric was his name, could this guy be it? But what the hell are the chances?' thought Marc
"Benezia… your father's name wouldn't happen to be Eric would it?" Marc asked carefully
Everyone stopped talking as Marc's voice sounded and both Liara and Benezia froze completely.
"H-how do you know that?" asked Benezia
"Fuck…" growled Marc to himself
"Marc?" asked Shepard as she placed a hand on his shoulder
"Benezia are you a hundred percent sure that your father is still on Thessia?" asked Marc
"Last time we spoke he was still on Thessia but that is some years ago now" replied Benezia
"Double fuck…" growled Marc "You will all have to excuse me I have to go make a call, let me know what you decide to do with Benezia later Shepard" said Marc as he turned and walked out the door leaving everyone to stare after him
"What ticked him off?" asked Garrus
"I'm not sure… but I think we might just have stumbled on one of his secrets" said Shepard
"Okay all this aside. Are we going along with Benezia's plan?" asked Ashley
"*Shrug* if we can get the Asari Councilor to agree then I am sure we could arrange a false ceremony on the Citadel where we hand over her "body" to the Asari for burial, this way we could then fly to Thessia and pretend that we are escorting Liara to the funeral that will be held there and in secret drop Benezia off at her fathers?" suggested Shepard
"A good plan" agreed Benezia
"Okay people dismissed, I will be making the call to the councilor. Once we arrive everyone will have shore leave after the ceremony and we will depart first thing in the morning" ordered Shepard
Everyone slowly filed out of the room until it was only Benezia, Liara and Shepard in the room.
"Commander, if I might ask a question?" said Benezia
"What is it?" asked Shepard
"This man… just how much do you know about him?" asked Benezia
"I know enough. Though I fear he has more secrets and some of them might just have come screaming out of the closet" replied Shepard in a worried tone
"Then I fear what will be coming" said Benezia
"As do I" commented Liara
"*Sigh* I'll deal with it when I can, for now I have a call to make"
-With Echo-
Marc was almost running by the time he reached his ship and it didn't take him more than a few seconds to lock the door and fire up everything
"Eva call up Karick NOW!" he yelled
"Calling… …. … …" replied Eva's voice
"Karick here"
"We have trouble!" half yelled Marc
"How so?" asked Karick now on alert
"I've found Eric or rather I know where he is supposed to be" replied Marc
"Really?! How?!" yelled Karick
"You know Matriarch Benezia?" asked Marc
"My spies have told me a few bits and pieces since she is connected to Saren" replied Karick
"Turns out she is his daughter" said Marc
"What? Holy fuck… any chance you are going to find him?" asked Karick
"We are heading to the Citadel right now, we are going to fake Benezia's death and then go to Thessia to hide her, supposedly we are hiding her with Eric" replied Marc
"You think you can convince that Commander of yours to let me come along?"
"I'm not giving her a choice in the matter; if she refuses you can sneak aboard the Shadow"
"Good, good. When will you be arriving?"
"Sometime tomorrow if everything goes according to plan"
"I'll be ready"
"Roger, Echo out"
The line went dead and Marc slumped into his chair with a heavy sigh, how did he keep finding himself in these situations? The entire world was changing in front of his eyes and from here on out he has no idea how the events are going to play out, as far as he was concerned saving Benezia reset everything.
Should something play out as he thought it would he would count it as a blessing and try and make it work in his favor but for now he was prepared to face everything.
Marc sat in his silence for a good long while until someone came around and knocked on his door until he opened it.
"Sarah…" he muttered
"Can I come in?" she asked
Marc stepped aside and followed her inside and sat down in front of her and the two began a small staring contest that eventually ended when Shepard looked away
"What had you flying off in such a hurry?" asked Shepard
"Remember when I told you that there might be more like me in this world?"
"Yes?"
"Eric is one of us"
"Shit…"
"My sentiment exactly…"
"What are you going to do?"
"For now I have contacted my friend and he will be accompanying us to Thessia where we can hopefully get a good talk with this Eric"
"*Nod* sounds like a plan, any thoughts on how it is going to go?"
"We are both looking for him although for different reasons so I can only hope that we learn something useful and that he doesn't just present us with more questions than before"
"*Sigh* you are going to be the death of me…"
"If I don't get myself killed first you mean"
"Exactly…"
"Well not much to do about it right now… let's go get some sleep and hopefully tomorrow will bring a better day"
Shepard stood up after her statement and began heading back towards her quarters, Marc followed silently behind her as he kept contemplating the various implications meeting Eric could have, he wasn't liking any of them.
"No please, we have done nothing!" yelled a woman
A large imposing figure was standing above the woman with a gun placed at her temple; around them lay the remains of the woman's family… or what limbs were still attached to the bodies.
"You have done, everything!" yelled the man in return
*Bang* the sound bounced off the walls of the home as the woman dropped to the floor as blood began running down her attackers face, he wiped it off and stared at it for a few seconds before shaking it off.
The man left the house and walked out into an erupting chaos, men and women running around screaming while their children were crying. The man walked through the chaos while the sound of his gun rang out every few seconds, stopping only when he had to reload.
A man came screaming towards him with something that looked like a pickaxe raised above his head. The man's dead blue eyes looked upon the attempt and scoffed. The civilian was almost upon him when a flash appeared and the civilian split across the stomach and a bloody geyser erupted.
"Worthless" muttered the man to himself
The sound of shuttles could be heard in the distance as the Grineer were closing in, attempting to save their colony from the attack. The man however didn't care; he was almost walking leisurely through the colony as he shot those too far away to kill with his sword.
Another one came too close and paid with first her arm and then her life. A scream rang out across the colony as a small child sped towards the man with his fist raised and tears in his eyes. The man watched in mild amusement as the presumed son of the dead woman in front of him came running… foolish
The child didn't come more than a few meters from the strange man before the same sickening flash of light appeared and the child stopped dead in his tracks as a long red gash appeared on his face, followed quickly by the upper part of his head sliding off his body…
"William!" screamed a man off in the distance
"You monster!" yelled another
The strange man didn't care as he slammed his fist into the ground sending a shockwave rippling through the sand and knock most of the surrounding people off their feet.
"Monster isn't enough…" muttered the strange man
The man approached the first one that had yelled out the name of the kid and looked him dead in the eye.
"He was your son?" came the strange man's detached voice
"Y-yes" replied the down civilian
The strange man slowly unsheathed his bladed and held it in front of the downed man
"This blade killed your son…" mumbled the strange man
In one fell swoop the blade man an arc and the downed man found his leg separated at the knee, he watched on in horror as blood splattered everywhere.
"This blade probably killed your wife as well…" continued the strange man
The blade made another arc and this time an arm flew through the air and landed in another pool of blood that had formed under another victim
"Now it will kill you…" finished the strange man
The blade made a final arc as it met the throat and silenced the screams of the downed man once and for all. The strange man stood and continued his rampage.
Hours went by as the bodies piled higher and higher and blood filled the streets alongside various dismembered body parts that had been hung on display in a fit of sadistic glee on the part of the strange man.
Among the corpses were now also armor scraps as the Grineer reinforcements had arrived and attempted to stop the strange man… only it hadn't done anything other than serve to infuriate the man even further which only made him kill faster…
"No plea AHHHH!" another fell to the man's blade and suddenly there was only silence around him…
It would seem his mission was complete… no one screaming and no one running, no platoons marching or gunfire singing… and yet he could still feel someone around him… someone was hiding.
It didn't take long to follow the feeling to a small house that seemed remarkably untouched by the chaos. The strange man opened the door and walked inside to an idyllic family home, nothing was destroyed or burnt and hell he could even smell freshly cooked food.
A small whimper alerted him to his targets location inside what he presumed to be the child's room. When he found it he opened the white door to a room that very much looked like it belonged to a roughly four year old girl.
And right there in the corner sat the girl, her face was hidden behind a mop of blond hair and her hands were keeping her knees tight against her chest while she cried. The strange man unsheathed his sword and approached the little girl, as he raised the blade and began the swing the little girl's head suddenly snapped up to reveal the pale skin of the girl and a pair of golden Irises staring into his own ocean blue…
"Why are you doing this dad?!"
"No!"
Marc shot up from the bed and stared out in to the darkness…
"*Haah* fuck"
That nightmare again, it had been plaguing him for years following the actual event and here lately it had finally started going away allowing him to sleep every so often… and yet here it is again, threatening what little peace he has found in this world
'I need to figure this out sooner or later… can't keep going on like this'
He turned and looked at Sarah's sleeping face and smiled at the peaceful image she was portraying lying there with a slight bit of drool leaking out of her mouth…
'Well… not getting any more sleep tonight so might as well…'
Marc silently crawled out of bed and put on a pair of pants and a shirt before walking out and throwing some water in his face and watched his own reflection… he looked like he just rose from the dead.
The lack of people in the mess hall was a welcome sight to his sore eyes as he almost fell into a chair in front of the center table
…
…
…
The dark is a funny thing… if one sits in it long enough your eyes adjust to it and you can make out basic shapes and sizes and in some cases even color.
But in a damaged mind the darkness thrives in ways it should never be allowed to, in the dark things that you have long kept hidden inside your brain will seek a way out and in hopes of being free…
"In the dark is where I am most vulnerable; in the dark is where my deepest fears come to light" mumbled a familiar voice
Echo looked up for a short moment and into the dark. Across from him in the opposite chair sat a man, a human to be more specific… him to be even more specific. Echo easily recognized the messy hair and ocean blue eyes that had belonged to his old self, the fairly tan complexion was also a dead giveaway… this is just about how Echo would have looked had he never left his original world (and trained, of course)
"But it is in this light that I shall face my fears and conquer them, so that I may face the dark and embrace its power" mumbled Echo
"He who embraces the dark is but a fool, scared of facing the light" said "Marc" in response
"Yet I walk in the dark and the light saw it fit to follow" growled Echo
"Light and Dark are eternally connected, one cannot exist without the other" replied Marc
"A fool's belief" said Echo with a snarl
"Then you are a fool; You cannot deny that we are the same, you and I" replied Marc
"You are the past, something best forgotten" said Echo
"Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it" replied Marc in a calm voice
"And those who embrace it fear the changes that needs to be made to step into the future" rebutted Echo
"… I'm disappointed in you… what happened to us? When did we become those murderers that we so despised in the past?" asked Marc in a sad tone
"Finally had enough of speaking like a fortune cookie huh? And who cares what we have become? We are stronger than we ever were as a human, the us of today could easily have saved her…" replied Echo in an angry voice
"We are still human… I wonder just when it was we forgot that…" summarized Marc
Echo looked away for the barest of seconds as a memory flashed before him.
"Back when we killed that Grineer… our first kill…" Echo mumbled
"We did always believe that the first one takes something from you alongside them to the afterlife… our humanity seems a fitting price" replied Marc
"And yet here you sit quite obviously…" joked Echo
"I suppose I have a certain brunette to thank for that" quipped Marc
"Don't you even start, if we are the same then you are as guilty as me in that regard" replied Echo
"Marc" lifted his hands in defense "Never said anything to the contrary. You know Sivra would have wanted us to move on anyway" said Marc
"Of course she did… didn't make it any easier to accept did it?" Echo asked in a defeated tone
"Of course it didn't…" Marc answered in the same tone
"So… what are we going to do once this is all over?" asked Echo with a smile
"I truly do not know. We are looking down the barrel of at least another three years' worth of events before we can even think of doing any sort of living" replied Marc with a shrug
"Hanging up our Warframe and focusing on being a good husband and father seems mighty appealing…" said Echo
"Going on the notion you two get married and have kids that is…" quipped Marc
"*Shrug* I can still dream can't I?" replied Echo
"True… mom and dad did always look forward to meeting our special other…" tears appeared in Marc's eyes as he spoke "God I miss them…"
"We will see them again, be it in this life or the next" replied Echo
Marc smiled a strange little smile as his body began vanishing slowly…
"Remember what Sivra used to say about us?" Marc asked
"*Nod* A human at home, a Tenno in the field…" began Echo
"… ever considered trying to be both at the same time" Marc finished the quote
"I think we forgot how…" said Echo
"Then perhaps… perhaps it is time we learn it again…" said Marc as the last of his body vanished into the darkness leaving Echo with is thoughts once again.
"Easier said than done" muttered Echo to the dark as he watched his little mental defect come to an end.
"I'm going insane…" he muttered out loud
Marc would have stood up and walked back to bed but the door to the med bay swooshing open and the sight of a blushing and distressed looking Ashley stopped him. She paid him little mind as she sped away an in the following moments Liara stepped out of the med-bay with a worried look on her face
"Liara" greeted Marc
Liara gave a small jump as she turned to locate who the voice had come from and visibly relaxed when she saw Marc sitting there by himself. She walked over and sat down across from him as a small sigh escaped her lips
"What troubles you?" asked Marc
Liara looked at him for a few moments before a small came to her face "It isn't I that is troubled; I do believe Ashley might just have surprised herself"
"Ohh? How so if I might ask"
"well… I assume that by now it is fairly common knowledge that Ashley and I were…"
"Intimate"
"Yes… tonight it seemed she wished to go… further… than before and it certainly was an experience"
Liara began rambling and mumbling about all sorts of things that Marc really didn't want to hear at present moment "Liara, what is wrong with Ashley?"
"Oh sorry… after we finished our activity she might have blurted out "I love you" by mistake, after which she ran from the room as you witnessed a few moments ago"
Marc looked at her for a few short moments as she mumbled a few other inconsistent things to herself
"I highly doubt it was a mistake, if Ashley said she loves you then she genuinely means it. Perhaps she ran because she fears you do not return her feelings?"
"Why would she think that? I have given no indication that my feelings for her are any less then love"
"Why would she think that you did when you have never told her? I mean you can show a lot with just actions but in some cases words do hit harder than anything else"
"I see… you humans are a fascinating species, I suppose I have much more to learn"
"*Snort* calling me human might be a stretch but it seems you get the general idea, though you and Ashley will face some problems in the future I am sure that if you keep it together you will have found something that many spend eternity looking for"
"Like what you have with Shepard?"
"I don't know yet, but I like to hope"
Liara gave another smile and the two fell into silence for a few short moments before Marc found another topic
"How did things go with your mother?"
Liara's eyes practically began shining at the question "Oh it has been great! Finally being able to talk with my mother about everything that has happened… I never thought I would get the chance"
"Well you did and for that I am happy. Not many get a second chance like that, make the most of it"
Whatever reply Liara had intended was stopped when footsteps sounded down the hall and the good Miss Williams appeared moments later with a rather apologetic look in her eyes.
Marc gave Liara a small smile and nodded in Ashley's direction, Liara got the hint and smiled back before standing up and walking to Ashley. It was quite clear Ashley wanted to say something but Liara stopped her by planting a kiss on her lips, when the two finally separated they were both wearing a soft smile
"I love you too"
Being the nice guy he is Marc chose not to snort loudly and laugh at the almost broken expression on Ashley's face as the words registered with her. It became even more difficult to hide his snickering as Liara pulled the flabbergasted Ashley back into the med-bay and then into her quarters.
When they were finally behind closed doors "*Snort* Hahahahahahahaha!" Marc laughed long and hard over the situation, when he finally stopped laughing a small smile crept on his face as he looked out into the darkness and enjoyed the fact that two people just found each other.
"Didn't know you were a love expert" came a voice from behind him
"Never claimed to be. Those two are simply easy to read" replied Marc
"Laughing was just a bit cruel though" said the voice
"Oh you think I didn't hear you snickering over there?" said Marc as he stood up and walked over next to Sarah
"Well… it was funny" mumbled Sarah
"She looked like she swallowed a goldfish" quipped Marc
"*Snort* I'm never letting her live this down"
"You think the rest of us will? Just wait until Garrus gets word of this"
"You think we can keep Ashley from killing him?"
"Ashley? I'm more concerned about Liara…"
"That girl is scary when angry…"
The two then went back to bed and moments later they were both fast asleep once more, thankfully Marc didn't have another nightmare… at least not tonight.
The entire ground team was gathered and waiting for the docking process to finish so everyone could get on with their day. All the arrangements had been made so the "body" of Benezia could be given to the Asari Councilor who would then put it on a transport next day back to Thessia for a proper funeral.
"Everyone know the plan?" Shepard asked the gathering
"Walk around and make it look like any other shore leave and then "spontaneously" show up for the ceremony held for Benezia and make it seem like the Normandy will be escorting Liara to her mother's funeral on Thessia" summed up Tali
"If we encounter anyone that even hints at being allied with Saren we call it in and follow the individual, in worst case scenario we attempt to take said person down or otherwise stop them" continued Garrus
"Under no circumstances are we to engage an enemy alone or otherwise stray from the plan. In the case of a sudden change of plan you will inform us all over omni-tool and if we discover something that will result in the immediate change we will report it you first then the team" finished Ashley
"Good. The teams are as follow: Ash and Liara will primarily keep around the Asari to keep with the idea that Liara is grieving over her mother's death. Garrus and Tali will be patrolling the shopping areas and surrounding public spots, try to see if any group of people seem out of place. Wrex you will be keeping around the bars and other areas the local mercs like to hang out. Kaidan you will be patrolling with a squad of Alliance appointed guards, hide among them and ensure that you are ready to move out at any time. Echo you will be with me as I go and talk with the Asari Councilor"
The team gave various forms of confirmation before Echo stepped forward
"Another thing people, we will have backup on this operation from a friend of mine and his team" said Echo
"Who?" inquired Garrus
"Doesn't matter. For now all you need to know is that my friend and I trained together and he is in every category better than me. If you find yourself being assisted by anyone wearing Black and Red combat armor then assume them friendlies. Should you truly be in doubt ask them "is the Stalker Seen" if they answer "The Stalker remains Unseen" then they are with us. Any other answer and you are to turn on them immediately" said Echo
The team kept quiet but all of them had their reservations about working with someone they had never met or head about. Luckily most of the team trusted Echo enough to trust that one of his old friends wouldn't stab them in the back.
"If everything goes according to plan we will all meet again in three hours in front of the Asari embassy where they will start their "parade" of moving Benezia's body" said Shepard
Nods were exchanged all around and the team split up as soon as they left the Normandy. Shepard and Echo were the first to split from the group as they headed towards the Asari embassy for their meeting with the Asari councilor, it would seem that there was more to Benezia's father than they first thought.
"You think this will go over well?" asked Shepard
"I hope so…" replied Echo
"We are betting a lot that word of Benezia's survival did not get further than the Normandy and the Asari hierarchy. If word somehow has gotten to Saren then we can be damn sure that trouble is brewing"
"That is why you sent Wrex down to the lower wards, most of Saren's mercenaries frequents those shady holes in the ground that they call bars"
"Yeah… what about this extra information that the councilor has for us in regards to Eric?"
"To be honest I am not quite sure what to think, it could be any number of things but I sorely hope it is something that won't complicate matters further than it already is"
"You really think we are that lucky?"
"I dream and pray that one day we might be, but today? Nope"
"I thought so. What is your thoughts on meeting this guy anyway?"
"I have plenty. Though I am most interested in knowing just what the reason is for him and Karick to have been sent here in the first place, from what I have gathered I seem to be a bit of a special case in this entire mess"
"*Nod* I figured that too. But when it all comes down to it I can count on you being there to help us right?"
"Of course, whatever mission Karick and Eric has been given it was given to them. I have no connection to said mission and no reason to assist them, my most pressing concern is to ensure that we all get out of this reaper business alive"
"Thanks, I guess I needed to hear that"
"Anytime Sarah, anytime"
The two then fell into a comfortable silence that lasted until they stood in front of the door leading to the Asari councilor's private room at the embassy.
"Ready for a round in the political arena?" joked Shepard
"You ready to stop me from killing someone?" responded Echo with a flat tone
Shepard barked a laugh as she activated the doors and stepped inside the private quarters of the Councilor Tevos.
The room was definitely decorated by an Asari, the blue, purple, white and golden colors that decked the office was nothing if not a testament to that very fact. The entire left wall was a large row of windows that led out to a balcony that overlooked a long stretch of the entire presidium, quite a sight for those who had never seen it before.
In one corner stood a large white corner sofa with golden pillows that seemed it was capable of seating quite the large group, in front of the table stood an ornate purple wooden table with a glass top that looked directly into the tree from which the table was carved. If one were to look one would see a myriad of colors running through the tree due to the unique climate of the Thessian forests.
Below the table sat a blue carpet with a myriad of white Asari designs spread out from the center of the rug, which contained a golden symbol, the Asari symbol for "Unity", which was circled by three words that Echo and Shepard did not know.
The foliage in the room was a large mix of green and purple leaves and flowers. Neither Echo nor Shepard could safely identify any of the flowers that stretched out in various directions and heights, a few of them seemed vaguely familiar to them due to their likeness to human plants.
The walls were lined with quite a few pieces of art that all ranged from colors splattered across the canvas to highly detailed works of art that detailed the Asari home world of Thessia and presented it in all its glory. In addition, one rather racy painting was hanging on the far wall showing the image of what Echo would swear was Aria from Omega lying across a sofa wearing nothing but a bed sheet, which covered just the bare minimum for the painting to still be displayed publically.
In front of said picture stood a desk made of what could only be the same tree as the coffee table. There was no front to the desk but even from their position, Echo and Shepard could see the intricate designs that ran along the sides of the desk, descripting what both assumed to be a specific time in Asari history. Just like on the coffee table a glass plate was making up the top of the desk and allowed for the same view into the veins of the tree from which it was carved.
Sitting at the desk was the person they were both here to see, Asari Councilor Tevos. At present time she was sitting with something open on her omni-tool, a cup of hot tea and what the two assumed to be the Asari equivalent of a bagel in front of her. Her face was the image of tranquility except perhaps for the rather small-darkened bags below her eyes betraying the councilor's lack of sleep over the past few nights.
"Ahem… Councilor?" asked Shepard in a careful tone
Tevos didn't look up from her omni-tool but rather waved to the two chairs in front of her desk before she took a stop of her tea and a bite of her breakfast.
Once the two were seated, Tevos closed down her omni-tool and turned her gaze upon the two.
"You do not make my life easy Shepard" stated Tevos
"I'm sorry?" tested Shepard with a confused look
"For once I welcome the extra work I have been given, it is not every day that my people are given back on of their most trusted Matriarchs whom we believed lost to us" Tevos then bowed her head slightly "For that you have my kind's and my own gratitude" finished Tevos
"No need to thank us Councilor, it was by a stroke of luck that we managed to bring in Benezia alive" replied Echo with a small smile
"On to business then?" began Tevos with a smile "The transfer of Benezia's casket should currently be underway and by the end of this meeting you two will be escorting me to the small service that we will be holding for one of our departed" said Tevos
"Once the ceremony is over the Normandy will then "Accompany" Liara T'Soni back to Thessia were she will be overseeing her mother's funeral" finished Shepard
"Which brings us to the primary subject of this meeting. The gentleman known as Aikar, or Eric to you I assume" said Tevos
"The supposed 2000 year old human that fathered Benezia" stated Echo
"You must understand that Aikar's situation is quite unique and for that very reason have we kept his existence as quiet as possible" replied Tevos
"I understand but I am still on my wits end with as to how he has survived for 2000 years… I mean didn't your kind find it strange that not only was an Alien on your planet but he somehow managed to outlive some of you?" asked Echo
"Of course we were curious, we even spent quite a while doing tests on him in an attempt to understand but none of the experiments yielded any positive results and we would always end up with more questions than answers" said Tevos
"Incredible… But in regards to Benezia, are we completely sure that this Aikar or Eric or whatever his name is, is capable of keeping her safe and out of the light?" asked Shepard
"*Sigh* This is where I must confess we have not been completely honest with either Benezia or Liara…" began Tevos
"What do you mean with that?" asked Shepard in a slightly worried tone
"Aikar has another name among the Asari, the one he is widely known for and is feared across the universe for as well…" continued Tevos
"Ghost" stated Echo
"What?!" yelled Shepard "Is that true?" she turned on Tevos
"It is… Aikar is the Asari's strongest military weapon nicknamed: Ghost. However, just like the reports say he went off active duty long ago and since then he has lived in his home in the Thessian forest. We kept the information from Benezia and Liara because it was far too dangerous for them to know… which is the exact same reason they don't know their mother's real name either…" finished Tevos with a saddened look in her eyes
"If Eric is Ghost then I take it Ishirah T'Zerev is Benezia's mother and Liara's grandmother?" asked Echo
"*Nod* Indeed, Ishirah was the one who asked that we kept her true name hidden from her child as she feared what would happen if some of her enemies knew of her daughter so she grew up knowing her simply as "Maria" as their father was fond of calling her" replied Tevos
"Maria… a very human name to give to an Asari… I must assume that Benezia was never allowed to accompany Ishirah whenever they went to the capital for her work in fear of Benezia overhearing her mother's true name?" inquired Echo
"That is correct so when Liara was born the truth was kept from her as well. Up until Ishirah's death a few years ago we still hadn't allowed anyone to know of her true name. Of course there was a few who were slightly outraged when they realized that one of our greatest architects were also one of the greatest Spectres to ever live" replied Tevos
"I can imagine. But what do we do about Benezia and Liara then? For one I believe you can't keep that secret for terribly much longer and given that we are going to see this person perhaps it would be good for them to know just what he has spent his life doing?" asked Shepard
"Last time I contacted Ghost he stated that he was heading towards the Citadel for some personal business and the news of Benezia's death hit him quite hard… after all I was informed a little late of Benezia's survival" replied Tevos with a scowl
"Yeah sorry about that…" mumbled Shepard with a slight cough
"I haven't been able to contact Ghost since so I highly assume he is somewhere on the Citadel and that is why I called you for this meeting. Should Ghost make contact with you I must ask of you to explain to him the situation in full, hopefully that will calm him down and I won't have a major diplomatic incident on my hands" Tevos mumbled the last part with a sigh
"Is he really that bad?" asked Shepard in a curious voice
"The death of a loved one can you make do terrible things…" came Echo's sad voice
"Quite. But if everything proceeds as planned then I assume Ghost will be informed of Benezia's survival and then by the end of the week we should have Benezia living in protective custody with Ghost and we will have robbed Saren of a major ally" stated Tevos
"That is the plan. Well if you will have us excused Councilor, I think we have made all the arrangements we need for now. Should anything come up we will inform you" said Shepard as she stood and gave a slight nod of the head
"I would appreciate that, Commander" replied Tevos as she stood and shook Shepard's hand
Echo stood and followed Shepard towards the door but stopped short of leaving, there was one question that had bugged him ever since he entered the office and he really wanted to know.
"This might be slightly personal Councilor, but is that Aria T'loak in that painting?" Echo asked while indicating towards the painting behind Tevos
A small smile played across Tevos features as she turned around and gazed at the painting
"Indeed it is. Let's just say that the Queen of Omega might not be as great a gambler as she thought" replied Tevos with a devious grin
"Hmm… very well. Good day Councilor"
"To you as well"
Aboard the Normandy down in the brig
A sigh escaped Benezia's lips as she looked around once more upon the gray walls of her cell, they were lit up slightly by the red glowing energy field that separated her from freedom.
Currently she was taking her time in collecting her mind as she was eternally grateful towards Echo for finally freeing her from her enslavement to Saren. Once more being in control of your mind was an amazing feeling that she couldn't describe.
Her thoughts strayed to the three Commando's that was occupying the cell next to her, still unconscious and blissfully unaware of the events going on around them. The good doctor Chakwas had informed her that they were being fed through a drop and that they were kept unconscious so they couldn't cause any problems for them until Echo could get around to curing them of their indoctrination as well.
Another sigh escaped her as she looked out towards the door to the brig. Most of the Normandy was running around outside the ship trying to set everything up for the transport of her "corpse" to the Asari government. This however meant that there wasn't anyone aboard the ship that would come down and talk to her since her daughter and most of the ground team was out as well.
Thinking of her daughter made her thoughts pass towards the young Miss Williams that her daughter had seemingly grown attached to as well. Falling in love with such a short lived species always seemed like such a bad idea to Benezia but she couldn't deny that Miss Williams would without a doubt treat her little wing like a princess throughout the entirety of their life together.
*Thumb*… *Thumb*
Two heavy thumbs forced her mind elsewhere as she recognized the sound of bodies hitting the ground after being knocked unconscious… but who would such a thing aboard the Normandy? Saren couldn't possibly know… could he?
The doors parted to reveal the armor of a man she knew quite well through various missions in her youth. The man that had trained her in hand to hand combat while also being one to teach her about stealth and the like…
"Ghost… you were supposed to be dead"
Ghost stepped inside the brig and looked around for a few seconds before his gaze locked with Benezia sending the slightly shorter woman scrambling to the back of her cell in fear of the man in front off her… too many times had she seen men die to Ghost because they underestimated his abilities.
"Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated"
"I-I can see that… but how is it possible? I read the report myself; you were killed in an explosion during a raid…"
"Not really. The report might have said so but I made it out just fine. I was getting to loud Benezia, too noisy, it was time for me to step back into the Shadows and once more become the Ghost I was created to be"
"So the rumors were true… high command wanted you out of the spotlight so they faked your death… so are you still working for them?"
"No. I stopped working for the Asari government years ago, when my wife died I started doing small time missions for them to fill the time and it was there that I learned that you were somehow still alive… after the company you joined I thought you would end up dead"
"*Sigh* by all rights I probably should be…"
"What happened?"
"You know of the Armor carrying man accompanying Shepard?"
"Codename: Echo. Real Name: Marc *********. Age: Unknown. Marital Status: Dating Commander Sarah Montez Shepard. Military History: None listed. Personal History: No known data about him from before a year ago"
"Yes that would be him… from what I have gathered he requested that I be brought in alive rather than killed down on Noveria, supposedly it was first to speak with me but following I learned his true motive behind keeping me alive"
"What would that motive be?"
"Have you now noticed how freely I seem to be acting?"
Below his mask Ghost's eyebrow rose at Benezia's words… it took a few moments but when his mind finally processed just what she had referred to he stared at her in wide eyed wonder and disbelief
"He cured you… but how?"
"I don't think I should tell you, the process was not without pain but he managed to wrestle my mind from Saren's control and for that I am him eternally grateful"
"I… see…"
"What was your purpose to come see me? If it was simply to confirm whatever I was alive or not then you can quite clearly see that I am alive and breathing, something that I am sure of high command is very much aware of"
"No… no… I came here for more personal reasons really… tell me do you know the name of your mother?"
"What sort of question is that? Her name was Marie of course I remember"
"You are lying… you know that is what she was called but I can hear it in your voice, you know her real name"
"You mean Ishirah T'Zerev the universally famous Spectre?"
"Yes…"
As ghost began tapping away at his omni-tool something seemingly fell into place in Benezia's mind as she made the connection that she should have made a hundred years ago when she first found out… Ishirah was universally known as having a relation to Ghost, there was even rumors that the two had a child together…
"You are…"
Whatever words she had planned to say was interrupted when the barrier between them vanished and Ghost removed his helmet and a pair of watery purple eyes locked with her own. Before she could react Ghost had grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug.
Emotion ran rampart through Benezia as memories came crashing to the front of her mind. Images of her as a child and the man that had raised her… images of her waking up screaming and crying during the night and how her father would rush into the room to comfort her… memories of how he would always be right there to comfort her when she had her heart broken… how proud of her he was when he first saw her with a newborn Liara in her arms…
"Papa…"
The word was barely above a whisper and that one word broke the damn and Benezia held on to her father like he was going to vanish otherwise as tears streamed down her face.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
Ghost kept repeating the words over and over again as he held on to his daughter.
"Please don't apologies papa…"
"No. I should have done something, damn the consequences I should have saved you!"
*Slap* Ghost stumbled slightly as Benezia's palm made contact with his cheek
"Stop it! Don't you dare blame yourself for this! You are here now… this is more than I ever thought I would get a chance to experience again…"
"Never again… never again will I leave you behind my little angel… from now on we stand together"
The two stood in silence and embraced each other as father and daughter was finally reunited after so many years of separation. For one of them it was though so much more as his entire reason for living was finally returned to him.
"Ehm papa… how did you get in here?"
"Hahaha. Most of the Normandy is running around outside so sneaking in was no problem and the two guards out front barely saw anything before I knocked them out"
"Oh… so I assume you know of our plan?"
"Ehh… no not really. I got so caught up in the thought that you might still be alive that I rushed here without getting anymore information"
"*Sigh* that is just like you papa… Right now the crew of the Normandy is preparing to hand over my "corpse" to the Asari so it can be transported for a proper burial on Thessia, Commander Shepard is meant to accompany Liara to Thessia so she can attend my "funeral" and from there we would have smuggled me out to your home in the forest and then I would have lived there until Saren had been dealt with"
"I see… good plan, I assume you came up with that one?" Benezia nodded "As I thought… I suppose I can accompany you on your flight"
"You think Commander Shepard will allow you?"
"I don't think she gets a choice in the matter" stated Ghost with an icy tone
"Don't do something stupid papa, we don't need an incident"
"I know, I know… I'm just happy to have my little angel back"
"As am I. Perhaps we could sit down with Liara once we are on route to Thessia and the three of us could talk… there is so much to tell you"
"Anything you want little angel, anything you want"
"Good. Then perhaps you can answer one question for me?"
"Sure…"
"How could you keep it hidden from me and Liara just who you and mama were!?"
Ghost winched at her tone as one thought kept repeating itself in his mind 'Have mercy…'
A/N: MERRY MOTHERFUCKING CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE! (Or your regional/religious equivalent)
Do you have any idea how long this took? Well you do since it took as long as from the last released chapter until now… but anyhow this chapter is finally done and I can relax for the rest of my Christmas break and then it is right back to school and writing.
I tried to see if I could actually describe a room this time around with Tevos office so if you guys could drop a review/PM about how I did with that then I would love the feedback on that one since I would like to be able to better describe the areas that I have to make up since you don't see them in the games.
Aside from that we got to some important plot points in this chapter and I am actually quite happy with where we are in the story right now.
Next time we will be dealing with how Karick and Echo handle meeting Eric and the communication between the three.
I hope everyone enjoys the new years and that you remember to keep safe with goggles and gloves, see you all in 2015!
-BundleJumper