Shepard stood like a wall against the onslaught of words. Tensions were running high among her party. She knew they were at the breaking point.
"There isn't any other way, Liara", Williams folded her arms defiantly.
"We won't know unless we look", T'Soni pointed out. "Commander, I know we're short on time, but we could avoid needless casualties if-"
"Forget it!" Williams interjected, "If they won't let us through, we'll shoot our way through. They're probably just goons, anyway. We're better off taking the fastest route. Keep Benezia holed up before she has the chance to run off and give us more headaches later. Not to mention more funerals to attend".
"Benezia will not run off", came Liara's fluid defense. It reminded Shepard of a shallow wave crashing upon a distant shore. "I do not know why she has allied herself with Saren, but I have never known a matriarch to flee at the first sign of danger".
"Well, that's reassuring", Ashley rolled her eyes. "Any other helpful tidbits you can share with us?"
"That'll do, Williams. You've made your point", Shepard sighed her agreement, knowing that her duty as commanding officer prevented her from letting the opinions of others overshadow the objective. "You're right, anyway".
Brightening brown eyes were followed by the firm response Shepard had come to expect from the gunnery chief.
"Understood, ma'am".
She was ready for action. Shepard turned to Liara, whose azure gaze was cast to the floor.
"You with us, Liara?"
"I'm alright, Commander", she lifted her eyes to meet Shepard's. The Spectre was not greatly concerned with the asari's combat capabilities or willingness to fight the matriarch. This issue had been discussed much earlier, and she sensed something else irked the young scientist.
"What is it?"
"I was thinking about Doctor Cohen, from the medical bay-" she paused once, noticing an uncomfortable squirm from Williams.
"What about him?"
"I believe the higher ranking personnel within this facility would have access to otherwise restricted areas. Perhaps, when we speak with him, we could-"
"Hey, she's right!" the chief chimed in. "He's all by himself down there. I'm sure he'll be willing to relinquish his access card to the first human Spectre. With respect, Commander".
"That might work", Shepard spoke, running a gloved finger through the irritating part in her black hair. Stupid Noverian weather.
"Yes", Liara nodded with renewed enthusiasm. "Although I was thinking a gentler approach might be more suitable. After all, we performed a special favor for those patients under his care".
"Yeah, no kidding", Ashley added, "Not to mention having to put that blue bitch down. No offense".
Liara quirked a brow at the gunnery chief, and Commander Shepard utilized the distraction to scratch freely at her scalp. There. Much better.
"The volus said she came out of there, Shepard", Williams pointed to a corridor with a red light of death on its control panel. Locked.
"Let's see if we can't borrow the doctor's hall pass", Shepard shook off her fatigue, and led her team down to the station's medical ward.
Matriarch Benezia knew that Alestia was dead. The knowledge did not grant her any particular joy or sorrow. Like all who served the matriarch, she gave her life willingly to defend a nobler cause. Even Benezia herself was utterly devoted to the beautifully constructed plans and intricate strategies Saren had placed at her feet.
Not at her feet, perhaps. Benezia was impressed, nevertheless. Saren knew how to create, and how to destroy. More importantly, he understood the correct timing for such actions. This was one of his greatest gifts, an incredible cognitive maneuverability which more than qualified him for the role of an elite council spectre. Benezia suspected that qualifications and standards had been much higher during the time of Saren's admittance to the spectres.
Spectre.
It was a strange word. Its original formation might have been rooted in some absurd political acronym. Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, if memory served her correctly. It usually did. Benezia was several centuries old, but her mind was nothing short of magnificent. Intelligence guided patience, patience granted her wisdom, and wisdom brought her all manner of unspeakable talents and abilities that even Saren himself could not fully comprehend.
Something tickled at the back of the matriarch's rich mind. She suppressed the annoyance with little effort, never one to allow selfish impulses to grow beyond her own control.
Self-control was expected of any asari, even the youngest ones. Other species thought strangely of asari culture. Rumors ranged from promiscuity to telepathy, but the asari did not allow such shallow ignorance to upset them. They knew who they were, just as Benezia knew who she was.
Mother.
Benezia flinched. Alestia had mentioned something about one of the Spectre's companions. She claimed one had been an asari, very young and strangely withdrawn. Such attributes were uncommon among the asari. They were known for their "sociability" and "diplomacy", as some species called it. Simple words that failed to adequately describe a cunningly crafted culture, elevated to tremendous heights through the cultivation of matriarchs over countless centuries.
Spectre.
The matriarch was not superstitious. There were others, however, who insisted upon the existence of otherworldly spirits, claiming to have encountered ethereal beings from alternate dimensions. Most of these claims could be dismissed as wild imaginings or simple lies designed to attract some small measure of attention to a sad and lonely sentient.
She did not believe in ghosts, not in the usual sense of the word. Death was the side effect of life that many learned to fear, and coping with such fear could be done in any number of ways. Benezia herself did not fear death. She was a matriarch, an asari in the final stages of her life cycle. Death would take her just as it takes all organic life, in due time.
"Matriarch, the hot labs are no longer safe", spoke the slim commando in her dusty battle fatigues. "For your own safety, you must come with us".
"Must I?" the matriarch mused, eyes trained on the containment pod at the heart of the room. Within stood the rachni queen, a mighty mother that even an asari matriarch would be wary of. The queen and the matriarch appeared equally angered, although Benezia suspected the rachni's wrath far exceeded her own. It was difficult even for Benezia to read the emotions of an overgrown insect, but the violet queen was clearly unsettled.
"The Spectre is dangerous", the asari boldly reminded her matriarch, but softened her words by adding "We will remain here at your order, Matriarch".
"Leave me", Benezia spoke, silhouette stolid against the pale blue of the laboratory.
The commando hesitated only briefly, and Benezia heard footsteps as she finally departed. Her intentions were commendable, the matriarch noted to herself. Unfortunately, personal love for one's leader was irrelevant at this time.
Love.
Ever since allying herself with Saren, there had been a nagging sensation that something was missing from the matriarch's entourage. Impulses and strange thoughts flickered below her notice; she was a matriarch, a focal point among all who stood in her presence. She had several advisors, exceptionally wise for their age. There were simpler servants, such as the synthetic life forms now liberated from their master's whip, although they were no match for her personal escort of highly-trained commandos.
Benezia's entourage was complete. She reviewed the roster in her head, and not one member raised a red flag. She had taken all the proper precautions, and even if the spectre found her way inside the facility, her actions were insignificant.
Saren's plans would not be hindered. The Reapers would return. No one, not even Saren, would be capable of delaying their advance.