When Liara and Traynor were led onto the CIC, Shepard breathed a silent sigh of relief. Neither of them appeared injured, so they had probably allowed themselves to be captured without too much of a struggle. Smart, Liara, she thought to herself. We just have to stall a little longer. No sense getting yourself hurt before the backup gets here.
"So, I see you survived the vault," she began, trying once more to assume the clone's haughty demeanor. It was more difficult than before. Seeing the barrel of a gun pressed into the small of Liara's back reminded her exactly what was at stake. "But here you are, captured again. Some escape attempt."
"You'll never get away with this," Liara replied, adding an impressive amount of anger to her words. "Shepard will be here soon, and she'll stop you once and for all."
"I doubt that," Shepard said, talking over the slight quake in her voice. Damn it, why can't I do this when she's looking at me? "But I'll be happy if she does make it back here alive. I'm looking forward to killing her myself."
Brooks nodded in approval, but Shepard thought she saw a hint of mistrust in her eyes. She knew what the other woman was thinking. If the 'other Shepard' was alive, it put her identity into question. At last, Brooks spoke, although she didn't make any accusations. "I am too, but we have some time before they get here. But how best to pass it?"
The question lingered in the air for a moment before one of the mercenaries spoke up. "I know what I'd like to do with it," he laughed, sending Liara what Shepard could only imagine was a leering look from behind his helmet.
"No shit," another one agreed. "I guess being the captain really does come with perks no matter what ship you're on."
Shepard's stomach lurched. The thought of any of those animals laying a hand on Liara made her feel like vomiting. "No," she snapped, a little too frantically. "She's mine."
"What do you mean?" Brooks asked. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and she rested her hands on her hips.
Shit, what do I mean? Shepard's mind raced, stumbling through an explanation. "I mean, maybe it's lucky she survived? Everyone knows this asari is the fake Commander Shepard's piece. It will help to convince the rest of the galaxy of my identity when they see her at my side."
"Even better," one of the mercenaries replied, the lustful edge definitely not gone from his voice.
Another laughed, shifting his large rifle back onto his shoulder. "You always put on the best shows, boss. I mean, damn. I thought the stripper on Ilium was hot, but I can't wait to see you take this bitch."
See me do what now? And what did that other guy say about Captain's perks? Realization hit, and she had to fight against a gasp. Oh, goddamn it. Not only was my clone a psychotic killer and possibly a rapist, apparently, she was an exhibitionist to boot. They're expecting me to fuck Liara in front of them.
Before she could come up with another excuse, Brooks spoke up. "Indeed, Shepard," she drawled, shifting her weight to one hip. "I think we'd all like to see that." Her tone left little room for maneuver, and Shepard understood that this was a test. Brooks was waiting for her to prove herself. She desperately wanted to look into Liara's eyes and search for reassurance, but knew that if she did, she would give herself away immediately.
There was no other option. At the very least, she had to fake the start of a performance. Perhaps if she stalled long enough, Wrex would arrive before she was forced to go through with the rest. "Fine," Shepard said, trying to show confidence she didn't feel. She faked an assertive swagger and strode toward Liara, who was still trapped between two large, heavily armed mercenaries. They shoved Liara to her knees as she approached, and Shepard was unnerved by how routine their actions seemed. Just how many times has my clone done this before?
"Don't touch me," Liara spat, glaring up at her with a convincing amount of hatred. At first, Shepard was taken aback by the venom in her lover's voice, but the eyes following her every moment prevented her from reacting. "When Shepard gets here..."
Brooks shot a disgusted glance in Liara's direction. "Your precious Commander isn't going to save you. Even if she managed to escape the vaults we've got her outnumbered. She'll be dead the second she steps onto the Normandy."
Shepard spared a glance at the large group of mercs. Brooks wasn't lying. Even if she managed to take out the nearest soldiers by herself, Liara still had several weapons pointed at her back, and Traynor was being held hostage a few feet away, looking as terrified as Shepard felt. She had to keep up the act for as long as possible, at least until the real back-up arrived. "Don't worry," she said as she turned toward Brooks, forcing her mouth into what she hoped was an evil grin. "I'll make sure she enjoys the wait."
Several hoots and catcalls came from the surrounding mercs, and Shepard suddenly felt less confident in her decision. She couldn't do this, especially not in front of an audience. Liara was still glaring daggers at her, and even though she knew the look was fake, it still hurt. Her mind raced back to Liara's bitter words, looping them over and over again in her mind. Don't touch me…
But what if Liara had actually been asking for her touch? Touch meant they could meld, and if they melded, maybe they could come up with a plan together. It was a long shot, but she decided to try. Anything to keep from being forced to violate her bondmate. She reached out and seized Liara's chin, forcing her to look up. To her relief, a familiar consciousness pressed in against her own, skimming the boundaries of her mind. She quickly closed her eyes so no one else would be able to see the blackness creeping in around the edges.
Shepard! Thank the Goddess you're all right.
Hearing Liara's voice in her head was an instant relief. Liara! I thought they were going to kill you…
No, but they might if we don't put on a convincing performance.
Shepard's heart slammed hard against the cage of her ribs. She didn't even need the meld to understand the suggestion. Liara was telling her to go through with it, to keep impersonating her clone until Wrex and the others came to help. I… I don't think I can, she thought, finally allowing her distress to rush out. She had been forced to hide it from Brooks and the mercenaries, but she couldn't conceal anything from her bondmate. If I did anything to hurt you, I'd never forgive myself.
You won't hurt me, Shepard. It's only us. I trust you.
But...
The meld ended long before Shepard was ready to give it up. She felt like a piece of her soul was being ripped out when Liara severed the connection, and it left a hollow, aching emptiness behind. Reluctantly, she came back to herself and noticed the rest of the group watching her. They were all waiting for her to say something, to make good on her threats. She blinked to clear the last traces of the joining from her eyes and tightened her grip on Liara's chin. "I bet I can prove the new Commander Shepard is a vast improvement on the original."
Liara fixed her with a vicious stare while Shepard tried to choose a good starting point. A slow, sensual build-up definitely wasn't going to be plausible in front of an audience, no matter how much she wanted to stall for time. Instead, she pulled her bondmate to her feet, a twinge of guilt piercing her when Liara drew away from her grasp. It's not real, she reminded herself. She told me to do this.
With as much haste as she could muster, she began stripping away Liara's clothes. She started with the long white lab coat, tossing it onto the floor before moving on to the rest of her bondmate's armor. The plethora of straps and buckles bought a few precious seconds, but all too soon, the various pieces of flexible metal and plastic were piled on the floor, leaving Liara clad in nothing but the white sports bra and panties she usually wore underneath them.
All around them, Shepard could feel the appreciative stares of the gathered crowd. There were several whistles and more than a few muttered comments. She ignored them completely. Brooks was still looking at her, and judging by her expression, she wasn't convinced yet. "Very nice," Shepard said, giving Liara's body a long, lecherous up-and-down. "I can see why that fraud of a Commander picked you to be her personal slut."
Liara covered her chest with her hands, angling herself away from the mercs. "She's no fraud," she protested. "You are. You're nothing but a sick, twisted copy of her."
"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough." Shepard grabbed Liara's wrists and pulled her hands away from her breasts. She knew she should yank harder, but she couldn't make herself do it. Thankfully, Liara let herself be uncovered without too much of a struggle. Shepard ripped the bra out of the way, tossing its remains on top of the armor.
I'll replace that, she promised silently as she cupped Liara's breasts. She covered them completely with her gloved hands, keeping them shielded them from everyone else's view as best she could. Until she could think of another way out of this, she wanted to make sure the crowd saw as little of Liara's flesh as possible. An idea struck, and she spun Liara around, pressing her back against the railing surrounding the galaxy map while she tried to bring their lips together.
It wasn't easy. Liara twisted to avoid her rough attempt at a kiss, but once she succeeded in capturing her prize, she could feel the real affection that had to be kept hidden. The heat of Liara's mouth never failed to have an effect on her, and in spite of the enemies all around them, she could feel the first stirrings of real desire deep in her core. The sensation startled her, and she yanked away in disgust. Really? Now? I'm pretending to rape her, and my body decides now is a good time to get turned on?
Shepard suddenly realized that everyone was staring at her. Brooks' fingertips drummed against the sides of her crossed arms, and she didn't look pleased. The sneer reminded Shepard what she was supposed to be doing, and she forced herself back into her role. "See, that wasn't so bad," she said, trying to add a taunting edge to her voice. "Better than the real Shepard, right?"
Brooks still didn't seem convinced, but before Shepard could react, Liara carried them through the awkward moment. Her hand flew up, and Shepard grunted as a sharp slap broke across the side of her face. Thankfully, the pain snapped her out of her fog. She easily caught the second strike, seizing Liara's arm and glaring at her. "You little bitch! Listen up, because this is the last time I'm giving you this choice. This can play out easy, or it can play out hard. But either way, I'm going to have you. So you'd better make up your mind which way you prefer."
She squeezed tighter, and Liara obliged by crying out as if the grip was far tighter than it really was. "Easy," she said, lowering her eyes to the ground in a show of submission. "I'd prefer easy."
"Good," Shepard replied. "Then I guess I won't need these." She removed her gauntlets and tossed them to the floor, ignoring the heated stares that followed. Even though only her hands were bare, she felt naked and vulnerable in front of the crowd. And poor Liara had to be feeling unimaginably worse. She hesitated, unwilling to cause her lover any more humiliation.
"Well?" Brooks asked, speaking up for the first time since they had started. "You're certainly taking your sweet time, Commander. You'd better hurry up if you want to have your fun before the real Shepard gets here."
Shepard reacted with anger, although it took her a second to figure out how to direct it. "How many times have I fucking told you, Brooks? I'm the real Shepard now. And I'll take as much damn time as I want." But despite her words, she knew she couldn't stall forever. She glanced between Liara's legs, eyeing the last place she hadn't uncovered. Maybe there was a way to put on a suitable display without revealing too much.
She pinned Liara back against the railing and reached between her legs, running her fingertips over the front of her underwear. Although she could feel the faint outline of Liara's azure through the fabric, there wasn't a trace of wetness. Usually, one touch and a few well-placed kisses was all it took to earn a deep stain at the front. Shepard wasn't surprised, but some part of her couldn't help feeling disappointed. It was another awful reminder of what they were being forced to endure.
Reluctantly, she slipped beneath the thin garment. The material prevented anyone else from seeing exactly what she was doing, and so she just cupped her hand between Liara's legs, flexing her wrist so it looked like she was moving her fingers. Liara played along with the deception well, groaning with a mixture of pleasure and disgust that suggested more was actually going on.
Laughter and several more whistles came from the group of mercs, but Shepard knew she couldn't linger too long. Their audience was expecting a show, and Liara's pleasure wasn't the main part of it. After a few more brushes of her hand, she withdrew it, making a point of licking her fingers clean even though there were actually only a few drops of wetness there. "Mm, not bad," she smirked, giving an obscene pop of her lips. "I'm sure you'll like mine better than that fraud you've been fucking." She waited a beat while Liara pretended to glare at her. "What are you waiting for, asari? Undress me. I want that defiant tongue put to better use."
Turning both of them so that she was the one facing the crowd, she pushed Liara back to her knees. Better keep my chestplate on, she thought, gesturing for Liara to start with her pants. As Liara's slim fingers fumbled with her buckle, a thought occurred to her. She had stolen the clone's armor, but her black underwear had a red N-7 logo printed on it. If anyone saw, it would be a dead giveaway. She stiffened, trying to think of a way to explain herself, but luckily, she didn't have to. When Liara pulled off her pants, she made sure to take the panties with them, hiding their design from Brooks and everyone else.
Unfortunately, that caused a new problem. "Hey, boss," one of the mercs asked, tilting his head in confusion. "Where's your cock?"
It took Shepard several seconds to process what that meant. Where's my cock? Oh, Jesus Fucking Christ. Apparently, she and her clone shared a taste in sex toys along with their genetics. But while she wouldn't consider wearing hers out on a mission, her clone obviously liked to be prepared. I guess it makes raping people easier, she thought angrily. "I, uh, forgot to put it in today in all the excitement," she blurted out when she realized that everyone was waiting for an explanation.
A cruel smile curled across Brooks' lips. "Someone go get the Commander's bags from her quarters," she ordered. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss out on the chance to give Shepard's pet a proper fucking."
No way, Shepard thought, recoiling at the very idea. No way am I making love to Liara with that bitch's dick. God knows what she's been up to with that thing. "No," she barked, putting on her best authoritative voice. "I've got a better idea. I'll use the other Shepard's. I'm sure she has one in her room, and what was hers is mine now. Go get it." And please, take your time finding the right drawer. Damn it, Wrex, where are you? I can't stall much longer...
"Go on," Brooks instructed a couple of the mercs. "We don't want to keep everyone waiting too long, do we?" The suspicious edge was still in her voice, and Shepard felt her heart rate speed up. She had already pushed too many boundaries, and she couldn't take any more chances.
The two soldiers hurried off, and Shepard returned her attention to Liara. "Now," she purred, trying her best to make the implications sound sinister, "You'd better get started. I want to see exactly what it is you did for that pale imitation of me that made her like you so much."
. . .
Liara studied Maya Brooks from the corner of her eye, trying to read her expression. Although the mercs surrounding them couldn't seem to tell that anything was amiss, the doubt on Brooks' face was all too obvious. While she appreciated Shepard's attempts to be gentle with her, they couldn't continue. One wrong move, and both of them were probably dead.
Unfortunately, Shepard didn't seem to know what to do next. Instead of spitting more curses or grabbing the back of her crest, she continued staring expectantly. Liara summoned all the determination she could. She was the one who had gotten them into this situation by suggesting that Shepard impersonate the clone. Now, it was up to her to convince Brooks that it was true. She clenched her teeth and turned her head away in refusal, putting on her most hateful look.
Shepard suddenly seemed to realize what was expected of her. Her hands shot down, and Liara let out a muffled cry as she was dragged forward. She made a few attempts at resistance, fighting against Shepard's grip, but soon gave up. She allowed her shoulders to slump in defeat and blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to summon a few tears.
"That's more like it," Shepard said, although there was a slight waver in her voice. "Put that tongue to work."
It wasn't the most intimidating statement, but it would have to do. Liara tried to compensate by whimpering in protest, making a show of keeping her mouth closed. The more Shepard had to work for her submission, the more persuasive it would seem, but when she risked a glance to her right, Brooks didn't seem impressed. Her arms were folded over her chest, and she looked almost bored.
Liara felt a stab of panic in her gut. They only had one chance at this. If Shepard couldn't find the right words or bring herself to use the necessary amount of force, there was only one more thing she could do. She opened her mouth and sealed her lips around the stiff point of Shepard's clit.
The reaction above her was immediate. Shepard's muscles locked, and her fingers tensed. She let out a low groan, and Liara caught a flash of surprise in her eyes. Obviously, Shepard hadn't expected her to go through with the orders. She had planned on more faking, just like they had done before. But Brooks was looking at them with slightly more interest, and several of the mercs hooted their approval. The added realism was helping.
Liara lashed her tongue over the hard tip, using the pressure and speed she knew Shepard liked best. Her bondmate didn't know how to hurt her, but maybe she could put on a compelling performance if she received real pleasure.
Shepard tried to ignore the sensations at first. Liara could read the denial in her body. The light tremor that ran along her muscles was a dead giveaway. But then she started rocking forward, and Liara almost sighed with relief when she felt the first bit of warmth run over her chin. She closed her eyes, pretending to be ashamed of what she was doing as she sank into Shepard's mind, initiating another meld and searching for the core she knew so well.
Liara? Shepard reacted to her presence immediately, latching onto her like a lifeline. Liara shared in every pounding beat of her heart and every shallow breath she struggled to keep silent. W-what are you... Oh God, what are you doing?
Trying to make you come. She released the swollen bud between her lips with a soft pop, moving to tease the ring of muscle at Shepard's entrance instead. That earned another hard gasp from above her and several more shouts of encouragement from the crowd.
Shepard's hands shook against her crest. I... I don't think I can…
But Liara knew better. Shepard was terrified, but beneath the haze of fear that blanketed her mind, there was a burning spark of need, the desire for her bondmate that not even their circumstances could destroy. Shame radiated across their connection as the flame grew, but Liara shut it down immediately. No. You're not the same as your clone. Don't think about her, or Brooks, or any of them. Concentrate on me.
Shepard tried to protest, but Liara withdrew, giving her one last mental caress in an effort to reassure her. As much as she wanted to stay, they couldn't manage a meld for long. If either of them opened their eyes, someone would notice. Once the connection was broken, she focused on her task, praying that Shepard would be able to put on a reasonable performance with the extra help.
It took Shepard a few moments to get her bearings, but when she did, she finally seemed to remember what she was supposed to do. She spread her thighs wider, and Liara felt her heated flesh pulse. "Fuck, you're good at this. I see why the other Shepard kept you around."
"I'm surprised she gave in so easily," Brooks said. Liara blinked the last of the blackness from her eyes, stealing another look at her enemy's face. There was a small smile on her lips, and her expression was almost hungry. "The others always do, but I guess I was expecting a little more spirit from you, Doctor T'Soni." The rest of the group laughed at the cruel comment, but Liara didn't stop what she was doing. Any response would only invite more humiliation. "What will your pathetic Shepard think if she does make it here and finds you like this?"
None of this is true, she reminded herself. Shepard's right here. I'm touching her. She moved her mouth with even more urgency, as much to convince herself of that fact as to satisfy Brooks. The warmth that spread across her tongue was familiar, and she allowed herself to take comfort in it.
Shepard started to shake above her and Liara didn't need the meld to feel her fighting against the swiftly growing pressure between her legs. Although she let out a few low grunts and made a show of grinding her hips forward, she was delaying her orgasm. It almost made Liara want to back away, but she knew she couldn't. Brooks was expecting Shepard to come, and Liara didn't trust her to fake it.
She narrowed her focus again, latching on to Shepard's clit and circling the swollen bud with light circles of her tongue. It was the quickest, surest way to get Shepard off, and it didn't fail her this time. The motion of Shepard's hips shifted, falling into a tempo Liara was used to rather than the earlier fake thrusts.
The soft brush of wetness became a steady spill, and Liara took some small amount of satisfaction in that. Even in the middle of a dangerous situation, Shepard's body still responded to her touch. But Shepard still wasn't quite there, and so she employed her secret weapon. She brought her hands up to the firm curve of Shepard's ass, drawing her clit as deep as possible into her mouth.
Shepard didn't last long after that. Her grip on Liara's head tightened involuntarily, and she cried out, bucking forward in search of as much contact as she could get. The shaft of her clit twitched, and warm fluid burst over Liara's mouth. Shepard's legs trembled, and she feared her bondmate might collapse on top of her. By the time the rush stopped, Liara's lips and chin were soaked. Though she made a show of wiping her mouth in disgust, she secretly relished the taste. "Are you satisfied now?" she spat, trying to cover her pride with disgust.
"I doubt it," came the reply, but it was from Brooks. The two mercenaries had returned, one of them carrying the leather case that held her lover's cock. He handed it to Shepard, and Brooks shot Liara a wolfish grin. "I'm pretty sure the fun is just beginning."
