Chapter 6: Shore Leave
"Are you kidding me?" Shepard asked in disbelief. Ben simply smirked and shook his head.
"Surely you must be joking," Liara insisted. Again, Ben shook his head.
"He ate the baby?!" Ashley exclaimed. Kaidan, Joker and Dr. Chakwas had simply dropped their jaws in surprise. By now, Ben laughed before looking back at his teammates.
"Yeah, it was a shocker for me, too," the shapeshifting hero said. After the team boarded the Normandy and Shepard punched in the coordinates to the Citadel, he and Ben went down to the mess hall to get some lunch. Not too long after they got there, Ashley, Liara, Kaidan, Joker and Dr. Chakwas had also joined them. After everyone got their food and sat down, Ben decided to tell them all another one of his stories; this time it was about his first time transforming into Rath and all the chaotic misadventures that followed.
"So what'd you do?" Kaidan asked.
"Without even thinking, I leapt up to Jarett's face, pried his mouth open and went down his throat," Ben replied, "I got into his stomach, grabbed the Tiffin, climbed back up his throat and punched through his teeth to get us out."
"I can't imagine he liked that," Shepard said.
"No he didn't," Ben agreed, "Jarett got angry and was about to declare war against the Lewodans, as well as demand an apology for not getting his delicacy."
"And let me guess: you told the guy to go screw himself?" Joker asked.
"More or less," Ben answered, "I reminded him that I had just leapt down his throat. Then I told him that if he started a war, then I'd do it again, and then afterwards I'd knit his intestines into a sweater. That was more than enough to make him stop." Everyone, including Ben himself, broke into laughter. Joker stopped and caught his breath as he wiped a tear from his eye.
"Man, that shit is just priceless," the pilot said, "So what happened next?"
"We went back to our ship and prepared to head back to Earth, when the Lewodan ambassador's ship landed in front of us. We returned the Tiffin to his mom, but then we found out that the Lewodan ambassador knew that Jarett was going to eat the Tiffin." This made Shepard and Ashley narrow their eyes.
"And he never bothered to tell you that would happen before your journey started?" Chakwas asked.
"No, he didn't," Ben answered, "When we found that out, I threatened to beat the crap out of him if he didn't leave. After they were gone, I suddenly turned back to normal."
"How did that happen?" Kaidan asked.
"I have no idea," Ben replied, "I always thought that maybe the Tiffin was doing something to the Omnitrix that affected its change timer."
"Sounds like it was quite the adventure," Liara said.
"Yeah, and we were hoping for a normal day, too," Ben replied, "But with this thing on my arm, nothing ever was normal." With that, Joker hobbled over to the kitchen and put his plate in the sink before going back up to the bridge. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Chakwas did the same and went back to the medical wing. After a moment of silence, Ben looked over at Shepard.
"So what's the plan when we get back to the Citadel?" he asked.
"First, we're heading up to the Citadel Tower to find Admiral Kahoku and give him the news about his missing crew. After that, we'll go on some shore leave," Shepard answered, "That way the crew can get some time to rest and we can get anything we may have missed last time we were there." Ben smiled at the thought of taking a break. Ashley got the same idea.
"Sounds good to me, Skipper," the gunnery chief said. Ben nodded in agreement.
"It'd be nice go somewhere without getting shot at this time," Ben said. With that, Shepard, Ashley and Kaidan left, leaving Ben and Liara by themselves at the table. For a moment, the young Asari sat silently, then looked at Ben in the eye and spoke.
"What is it that you wish to do when we arrive at the Citadel?" she asked.
"Who knows? I might look around the wards and see what the Citadel has to offer," Ben answered, "Maybe look for a good restaurant and get some real food for the first time since I got here. If you want, you could come with me." Liara's cheeks turned slightly purple at his offer.
"Are you asking me on a 'date,' as humans call it?" she nervously asked.
"Not really," Ben said, "It's just someone asking his friend if they wanted to do something fun." Liara widened her eyes at his answer. Ben really considered her a friend, even after everything they learned of her mother? Never had she ever met anyone so trusting of anybody in her entire life. It only took her a moment, but she finally made her choice.
"That would sound like fun," Liara said, her cheeks blushing a darker purple than before. Ben smiled.
"Looking forward to it," the shapeshifter said as the two of them got up and put their dishes in the sink. With that, Liara smiled at Ben before she turned around and went back to her room behind the medical bay. A tingling feeling took root in her stomach once again as she sat down on the chair in front of her desk. Why did she get this strange feeling every time she was around Ben, or even just thought about him? She decided to put it aside for now and ask Ben about it personally when they got to the Citadel.
…
Ben watched Liara go back to her room in the medical bay before turning toward the staircase and walking up to the CIC; where Shepard was once again standing at the Galaxy Map, watching the ship approach the Mass Relay from the terminal next to it. The commander heard his approach and turned around.
"So when we get to the Citadel, what's your plan after we deliver the info to Kahoku?" Ben asked.
"I was thinking about taking Ash, Kaidan and Garrus out for a few drinks after our little errand," Shepard replied, "I would invite you to go with us, but I don't think you're old enough." Ben chuckled at the commander's remark.
"Yeah, short by two years," Ben added, "Liara and I were just thinking about going on a little stroll through the ward, so we might actually run across you guys on the way." Shepard smirked as he raised an eyebrow.
"You two have only known each other for a few days and you're already dating?" Shepard teased, "Be careful, you'll both get windburn from moving too fast." Ben blushed and widened his eyes.
"That's payback for me teasing you about Ashley, isn't it?" Ben asked, "Besides, it's nothing like that." Shepard snickered in response.
"It sucks being on the receiving end, doesn't it?" the commander joked. The two had a good laugh before they felt the ship lurch forward, indicating that it hit the Mass Relay.
"So, where is Garrus?" Ben asked.
"He'll join up with us when he's finished with a project he said he was working on," Shepard replied. A little while later, Ashley, Kaidan and Liara arrived at the deck as the ship exited the jump and began its approach to the Citadel. Liara looked over at Ben with a small smile on her face, a gesture Ben noticed and returned.
A few minutes later, the Normandy arrived at the docking station and fastened itself to the clamps as the airlock came into contact with the ship.
"Alright, the first thing on our agenda is to head back to the Citadel Tower and inform Admiral Kahoku about what happened to his soldiers, then after that, we take a bit of time for shore leave," Shepard explained, "Get a bite to eat, help the crew resupply the ship, try and see if there was anything you might have missed the last time you went shopping, just as long as you all report back by 1845 hours."
Choruses of "yes sir" and "got it" rang out from everyone else. With that, the team stepped into the airlock, where the resident VI performed the routine pressurization process before opening the door. The crew stepped onto the airlock and walked out onto the docking platform, but then saw a man wearing an Alliance uniform standing in front of the elevator. Kaidan immediately stood rigid as he snapped to attention.
"Ten hut!" the lieutenant called out as he saluted the man. The man returned the salute.
"At ease," he said, "I'm Rear Admiral Mikhailovich, Alliance Fifth Fleet." Shepard straightened both shoulders as he looked the admiral in the eye.
"No one told me you were coming, Admiral," he said, "I'd have prepared a formal greeting."
"Spare me the pleasantries," Mikhailovich bluntly replied, "I command the 63rd Scout Flotilla. You and the Normandy were slated for my unit after shakedown. Then the Council got their paws… claws, tentacles, whatever. They got them on our ship. And you." Ben had only known this man for less than two minutes and already he was getting strong negative feelings about him. Shepard, however, didn't seem fazed.
"I still serve the Alliance, sir," Shepard calmly said, "As a SpecTRe, I can advance our interests to the Council."
"Humph," Mikhailovich snorted, "You still know what color your blood is, Shepard? I don't begrudge the politicians' decision to throw you to the Council. It's an… opportunity." Ben detected a hint of venom in the admiral's voice with that last comment. "I do begrudge this overdesigned piece of tin, though." At this point, Ben was at the verge of losing his patience. This man, a high-ranking officer in the Alliance, had the gall to address the ship that the galaxy was depending on in such a manner? Some people just couldn't feel gratitude to save their lives. Shepard was now beginning to feel the same way.
"This ship has saved all our lives a dozen times over!" Shepard argued.
"An exaggeration. I've read your reports," Mikhailovich said nonchalantly, "This experiment diverted billions from our appropriations bills. For the same price, we could've had a heavy cruiser. But no, we had to make nice to the Turians. Throw money at a co-developed boondoggle. Anyway, I'm here to make an inspection, Commander. Normandy is an Alliance warship, and I intend to see if she's up to snuff." Shepard nodded.
"We'd be honored to show you around, Admiral," Shepard said.
"I'll just bet," came the admiral's curt response, "Wait here, I won't be long." After he went into the ship, Ben clenched his fist in silent anger as he let out a low grumble. Liara, noticing this, placed a hand on Ben's shoulder to try and calm him down. Shepard and the others also took notice of this.
"You okay there, Ben?" Ashley asked, remembering the last time Ben looked like that was when she snapped at Liara on Therum.
"What is that guy's deal?" Ben angrily asked, "What gives him the right to say things like that about something that he wasn't even a part of? Furthermore, what gives him the right to judge people that he's never even met? It's people like him that make me want to just tear my hair out."
Ashley looked down at the floor with a sheepish look on her face. It was that same mindset that got her and Ben on the wrong foot back on Therum. Shepard put his hand on Ben's other shoulder. "I get that you don't like him, Ben, but he's an Alliance admiral," Shepard said, "I can't just tell him to sod off." Just then, Ben got an idea.
"I'm going in after him," the teen said as he raised the Omnitrix, "Besides, I'm not even in the Alliance, remember?"
"Please don't try to hurt him, Ben," Liara pleaded.
"I won't hurt him," Ben replied, "I'm doing something better than that." With that, he turned the device on and turned the dial to the alien he wanted before pressing it down. When the flash of green light disappeared, the team saw Upgrade standing before them.
"He said he wanted to see if the ship is up to code, I'll make sure that it is myself," Upgrade explained. Shepard understood where the Galvanic Mechamorph was going.
"Be careful, Ben," the commander said. Upgrade nodded as he silently walked into the ship.
…
Upgrade walked into the airlock after the admiral, determined to carry out his plan. After managing to slink in through the decontamination room, Upgrade saw that Mikhailovich was walking off in the direction of the galaxy map, presumably to talk with Presley. Using that to his advantage, the Galvanic Mechamorph turned to one of the unoccupied terminals before turning his body into a liquid-like form and fusing himself into the system's interfaces, making sure to bring them all to maximum efficiency. Before long, the alien's body had become one with the Normandy, allowing him access to all its systems, including surveillance. Looking through the camera over the CIC, Upgrade saw Mikhailovich complaining about something while pointing at the galaxy map; which led him to believe that there was something about it that he didn't like. Mikhailovich then turned and headed toward the door to the crew bay.
"Jeez, can anything satisfy him?" Upgrade muttered as he switched cameras and saw him walk down the stairs and into the elevator, which prompted him to switch cameras to the cargo bay and engine room.
However, as he did, Upgrade suddenly realized something that made his nonexistent stomach flip. He saw that Garrus and Wrex were still in the cargo bay, and then he remembered the admiral's snide remarks about aliens back on the docking bay, so he knew that this meeting would not end well. Sure enough, he was right. Upgrade saw Mikhailovich step off the elevator and stop cold almost immediately. He saw that it was taking everything the admiral had to not lose his composure at the sight of the two of them as he turned around and headed for the engine room.
Upgrade then remembered that Tali was also still in there and tried not to panic; since he was part of the ship at the moment, he didn't want to risk damaging it by accident. He then switched cameras and saw the admiral walk into the engine room, where Lieutenant Adams saw him and greeted him with a salute. Upgrade saw him return the salute before getting into a posture that clearly showed he meant business. The Galvanic Mechamorph zoomed in on the room and saw that Mikhailovich was also trying to keep his composure upon seeing Tali as well. After a few minutes of watching him complain, Upgrade saw Mikhailovich turn around and walk back in the direction of the elevator, giving him his cue to cut the act of being a part of the ship and defuse himself from the terminal.
Once his body was separate from the Normandy, Upgrade took not a moment's hesitation to quickly head for the airlock, turn his body into a half-liquid and ooze his way under the door before hurrying back outside to join the others.
…
"Did he see you?" Shepard whispered as Ben joined the others and changed back into his human form.
"No," Ben whispered back. "But I don't think it would've made a difference." Needless to say, everyone present was filled with worry.
"What happened?" Ashley couldn't help asking. What could possibly be wrong with the Normandy to have the rear admiral make a negative report?
"Even though I made sure everything was up to code, he still didn't look happy," Ben answered her. "But it seemed more like he had a problem with the ship's designs rather than its functionality." Of course there was also the fact that the rear admiral wasn't thrilled about aliens being on board but Ben kept that to himself. From the way the rear admiral had reacted, it was going to be brought up anyway.
Shepard could see that Ben wasn't telling them everything but he was prevented from pressing further due to Mikhailovich's return.
"Commander Shepard," The rear admiral said with an irritated tone, "I am not happy."
As much as Shepard wanted to knock this guy down a peg, he decided he would try to be as diplomatic as possible unless Mikhailovich gave him a really good excuse to do otherwise. "What did you find out of order?"
"Who designed that CIC?" Mikhailovich asked. "Putting the commander aft in front of everyone else is insufficient. What if he needs to discuss with the operators towards the bow?"
While Shepard admitted the rear admiral had a decent point, he could see what Ben meant about Mikhailovich having a problem with the ship's design rather than the Normandy's capabilities.
Ben on the other hand was resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Like Shepard, he could see what the admiral was getting at, but it sounded more like he was just looking for an excuse to complain about the Normandy.
All the same, Shepard decided to go for the moral high ground. "Modified Turian style," he explained. "They prefer commanders looking over their subordinates, rather than in the middle of them. We wanted to see how effectively they could command with that setup."
This seemed to at least placate the rear admiral as he brought a hand to his face in contemplation. "Hm. Reasonable goal. But they should've studied that in a lab rather than on a frontline warship."
Okay, Ben could see the practicality of that reasoning so he'd let that one slide.
Sadly, Mikhailovich was not done. "I had to shake my head at that drive core of yours. 120 billion credits of element zero to make this thing move without giving itself away."
While Ben acknowledged that was a lot of credits, the idea of being able to move in complete stealth sounded pretty good to him. And he would know since he had plenty of aliens who could do just that.
"You realize we could make drive cores for 12,000 fighters with that money?" Mikhailovich questioned Shepard. "What good is it to hide for a few hours anyway? Useless!"
Again, while Ben saw that the guy had a point, it sounded like Mikhailovich was just sore the Normandy got funding that he felt he deserved. Ben looked over at Shepard to see what his reply would be.
"We can loiter in an enemy system and monitor traffic," Shepard pointed out to the rear admiral, "Or drop infiltration teams on enemy worlds. Normandy can be more effective than the Salarian STG."
Ben couldn't resist grinning, mentally praising Shepard for proving quality over quantity. Even Mikhailovich had to accept Shepard's reasoning.
"Maybe, maybe," the rear admiral admitted with a shrug. "But that's not the job of a proper warship. We're supposed to find and kill the enemy fleet, not count how many times their garrison goes to the bathroom."
Oh, good grief. Ben was starting to feel that this was a lost cause; that no matter how many times Shepard pointed out the Normandy's pros, Mikhailovich would counter with the ship's alleged cons.
"And we need to talk about your crew, commander," The rear admiral added, a bit of an edge in his voice.
Ben narrowed his eyes, already suspecting where this was going. Liara shot Ben a concerned look, noticing how tense he had become. Shepard was also on edge, coming to the same conclusion Ben did.
"Krogan?" Mikhailovich said, "Asari?" He looked at Liara when he said this, making her feel very uncomfortable before facing Shepard again. "Turians? What are you thinking, Commander? You can't allow alien nationals free access to Alliance equipment!"
Ben clenched his fists at the rear admiral's words. He could understand that things were tense between humans and the rest of the species of this universe but that didn't justify the many being punished for the deeds of the few. Shepard shared Ben's sentiments. He was willing to play nice, but since the rear admiral went and decided to target his crewmates just because they weren't human, it was now time to put his foot down.
"I'm Normandy's commanding officer," He said firmly. "The regs state I have the authority to say who does and doesn't come aboard. If you disagree, send a complaint to the chain of command." Needless to say, Mikhailovich wasn't pleased at the commander's defiance.
"Sophistry, Commander," He said. "You know I'm right. You want them on board that bad enough? Fine, just don't quote regs at me." Then his eyes landed on Ben. "Also, would you care to tell me why you have a civilian here? Please tell me you weren't offering tours."
"Ben Tennyson has more than proven himself to be a valuable member of the crew," Shepard said firmly.
"You allowed a civilian to join your crew?" Mikhailovich asked, looking Ben up and down, appearing very unimpressed. "And what exactly does Mr. Tennyson offer to the Normandy?"
Ben grinned as he activated the Omnitrix. "I'm glad you asked." He scrolled to the perfect alien for the job and slammed the dial down.
"What in the...?!" Mikhailovich exclaimed as he shielded his eyes from the green light. Once it faded he was about to demand what was going on...only for the words to die in his throat at the sight before him.
Where Ben once stood was a muscular, twelve-foot tall, red-skinned humanoid alien with two pairs of four-fingered arms, a black stripe that went from his chin to his lower lip and from between his eyes all the way over his head, and an extra pair of eyes under his main ones.
Even the present crew were a bit intimidated by this new form, though Shepard couldn't resist smirking at Mikhailovich's wide eyed, gaping expression, a complete contrast to the rather stoic expression he had been sporting.
"What...what are you?" the rear admiral stuttered, never taking his eyes of the colossus before him.
The four-armed alien grinned. "Call me Four Arms."
"As you can see, Rear Admiral," Shepard said smugly, "Ben possesses the unique ability to turn into aliens we've never seen before, each with their own set of abilities and skills."
"I-impossible," Mikhailovich stammered, though he couldn't deny that the proof was right there in front of his eyes.
"Like I said, Ben is a great asset to the Normandy and has helped us out on countless occasions," Shepard told him. "Some of his forms are powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with Geth Armatures and Thresher Maws and win." Four Arms couldn't resist smirking as the rear admiral gulped at Shepard's words.
"Let's get something straight, Rear Admiral," Four Arms said as he pointed a finger at Mikhailovich, who flinched away from the digit. "The Normandy may not look like much to you, but she's got it where it counts."
"Well said, Ben," Shepard added before facing the rear admiral. "We showed the Council something they haven't thought of with our fighter carriers. You may disapprove of the Normandy but she's just another way we're outthinking them."
Mikhailovich looked back and forth between Shepard and Four Arms, as if worried the titan was going to attack if he took his eyes off of him for too long.
"V-very well. I'm not fully convinced Normandy isn't a waste of taxpayer money." He eyed Four Arms when he said that. "But I am convinced you believe otherwise, and that you'll use it to its best ability. I'll be submitting a report to the Joint Military Council. It won't be as...negative as I had planned." He quickly saluted the commander. "Good hunting, Commander Shepard. Make us proud." Then he turned around and proceeded to leave the Normandy at a particularly fast pace.
Once the rear admiral had left, Ben turned back to normal in a flash of light. "Glad that's over."
"Yeah," Shepard said, glad to see Mikhailovich leave. Then he grinned at Ben. "Though his reaction when you changed was priceless."
"Still," Ashley said, raising a brow at Ben in amusement. "You seriously call that guy Four Arms? Not really creative."
"Hey!" Ben said defensively. "Cut me some slack, I named him when I was a kid."
"I should hope so," Ashley retorted playfully. Ben made a face as the others laughed.
A moment later, Garrus, Wrex and Tali came out of the ship and joined them. With everyone ready to go, Shepard led the group to the elevator and pressed the down button. After another long, cramped elevator ride down, the group arrived at C-Sec Academy… where they saw a woman with a camera drone. The woman looked over in their direction with a glint in her eyes, like she had landed the jackpot.
"Commander Shepard?" she inquired as she approached the group, "I'm Khalisa bint Sinan Al-Jilani, Westerlund News. Would you care to answer a few questions for our viewers?" It only took one look at this woman for Ben to know that something was off with her, but when Shepard took a step forward, he decided to just roll with it.
"What do you want to know?" Shepard asked.
"You've been given a unique position to represent our race," Khalisa replied while typing a command into her Omni-tool, "People want to get a sense on how you'll do that." With that, the camera drone lowered itself to eye level and the interview began.
"Humans have been trying to gain the respect of the galactic community for 26 years," Khalisa stated, "With that in mind, what are your thoughts on becoming the first human SpecTRe?" Shepard cleared his throat before he spoke.
"SpecTRes represent the best of every race in the galaxy," the commander replied, "To be asked to join them is an honor." Ben could hear true honesty in Shepard's words. Had he not been there to witness the bestowal, the teenage hero might've dismissed it as romanticized. With that, Khalisa went to the next question of the interview.
"Some have said that your appointment is the Citadel 'throwing humans a bone,'" the reporter said, "Have you ever encountered any situations where the Citadel asked you to put their needs before the needs of Earth?"
Ben was suddenly taken aback by the bluntness of her question. He never had a good history with the press, as some reporters in his universe often asked him questions like "Would you ever turn on us," or "Have you ever gone too far?" That was another reason Ben was starting to like it here. Since only a handful of people knew who he was, he felt like he could make a fresh, new start.
"The Council is concerned with the needs of the whole galactic community," Shepard answered, unfazed by the severity of the question, "We're a part of that community now. Our needs are on their agenda, but we're only one of many." Again, Ben could hear only honesty in Shepard's answer.
"You really do believe that, don't you?" Khalisa asked, to which Shepard answered by nodding, "You've been given command of an advanced human warship for your missions. Is there anything you'd like to say about it?" By this point, Ben could already tell that this reporter just wanted to keep pressing to try and make Shepard spill any dark secret he might be hiding, something he knew Shepard would never do willingly. Shepard was beginning to sense that, too, but he decided to keep going.
"Actually, the Normandy was co-developed by human and Turian engineers," Shepard explained, "Its design incorporates many innovations. All of which are classified, I'm afraid."
"So the Turians have knowledge of the Normandy that is being kept secret from the Alliance public?" Khalisa inquired, much to Ben and Shepard's annoyance, "Do you think it was appropriate to hand over Earth's most advanced warship over to the Citadel?" By now, Ben was beginning to lose patience with this woman. Liara took notice and put a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down. It worked, but only marginally.
"I wasn't aware it had been 'handed over' to anyone," Shepard retorted, his tone now suggesting that his patience was also starting to slip, "I'm in command and last I checked, I'm human. Same goes for my crew."
"Human, yes, but you're now working for the Citadel, Commander," Khalisa countered, "One last question: rumors back home suggest that you're chasing a rogue SpecTRe named Saren. Do you have any comment on that?" By now, half the group looked ready to punch this reporter right in the face, Ben included, but Shepard maintained a straight face as he answered the question.
"I can't comment on what my current assignment may or may not be," the commander said.
"Don't worry, we'll find out," Khalisa replied as the drone turned its light off, "The eyes of Earth are on you, so don't let us down. Thank you for your time, Commander Shepard." With that, Khalisa turned and walked away, her camera drone following her. Once she was gone, Wrex let out a loud snort.
"Damn press," the Krogan muttered as the group continued on their way. Ben couldn't help but agree.
"Tell me about it," he said as Wrex looked at him, "I had to put up with snooty reporters like her all the time back home." Shepard led the group to an elevator on the other side of the foyer that led to the Presidium. Once everyone crowded in, due to Wrex's large size, Shepard pressed a button and the elevator started going up. As the elevator began its ascent, Wrex looked down at Ashley.
"You handle yourself pretty well, Williams," the Krogan complimented, or at least tried to, "Krogan women have to stay home to try and reproduce." That statement caught Ben by surprise. "Try and reproduce"? Were the Krogan really that badly afflicted by that sterility plague he read about? Ben decided to ask about that another time when Ashley spoke up.
"Sorry to disappoint, Wrex, but I'm not the stay-at-home kind," the chief defensively replied. Wrex simply shrugged.
"Didn't say I was disappointed," he said, "I could get used to killing with women around. Gives the fight a different flavor." Ben tried his hardest not to laugh when he looked over and saw Ashley's face blushing a light red. Garrus spoke up next.
"I'm surprised that you're willing to kill your own, Wrex," the Turian stated, "Aren't the Krogan just a few generations away from extinction?" Ben was again shaken by the question. Wrex again shrugged his shoulders.
"You don't get it," the bounty hunter answered, "For all your talk of honor and pride, the Turians never had to test their principles in a real struggle. Besides, anyone who tries to fight against us is either stupid, or on Saren's payroll. Killing the latter is simply business, but killing the former is doing a favor to the universe."
With that, everyone in the elevator stopped speaking, the only noise being an announcement on the radio about Hanar protesters intervening with a Salarian excavation team that had discovered Prothean ruins, something Ben found hilarious. Eventually the elevator came to a stop, and the group stepped out onto the Presidium. Before the group could start heading over to the Citadel Tower, Wrex spoke up.
"Shepard, I got a message from an acquaintance of mine about some rare armor mods for Krogan," the bounty hunter explained, "He said he'd meet me by the lower wards." Shepard nodded in understanding.
"Alright, Wrex," the commander replied, "We'll see you back at the ship." Wrex nodded in return before heading off to a nearby terminal to call a cab while the rest of the group went off in the direction of the Citadel Tower. As they walked, Kaidan looked over at Ben.
"Hey Ben," the lieutenant said, attracting Ben's attention, "If you don't mind me asking, but when we were on Therum and facing that Krogan, why did you hesitate to use that yellow alien with the helmet on its head? I noticed when you turned that thing on and found it; you hesitated for a moment before changing."
"I noticed that, too," Garrus added, "From what I saw, I can understand being a bit disturbed about what it can do, but you can't argue that - um, 'Toepick,' you called it? – can certainly get the job done fast." Ben looked over at them both.
"It's not that I hate using Toepick," Ben explained, "I just hate what he does while using his powers. When I open that helmet on his face, it feels like I'm unleashing the very monster that some people back home are afraid I'll become." Those words hit home with the rest of the group. Tali looked over at Ben and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Ben, I doubt that you would ever become anything like that," the young Quarian said as Ben looked over at her, "From what I've seen you do with that device, and how you have complete control of your forms, I know that you'd never do anything heinous or violent willingly."
"I know," Ben replied, "But that doesn't mean that bad things won't always happen."
Liara took in every word that Ben had said. He was unlike any other human she had ever met. From what little experience she had with humans, she always assumed that they were reckless and arrogant. But working with Shepard and his crew began to change her opinion of them. Kaidan was soft-spoken and distanced, but was still friendly and reliable. Ashley was rather difficult at times, but was still a good person deep down. All she needed was simply a push out of her comfort zone, something that she believed Shepard would be able to do.
Then there was Ben. Ben was the youngest member of the crew, and yet he had more experience than soldiers twice his age. He was also very humble for someone his age, and knew the limits of what he could do with his abilities. Then Liara remembered back on Therum when Ben stepped up to the Krogan Battlemaster and challenged him, a determined fire burning in his eyes. Ben could've easily killed the Krogan with any of his alien forms, and yet he deliberately chose a form that ended the fight quickly, but not kill him in the process. Her train of thought was interrupted, though, when Ben tapped her on the shoulder.
"You okay, Liara?" Ben asked, "You zoned out for a second."
"Yes, I'm fine," Liara replied as she blushed slightly, "Just thinking about something." Ben knew that Liara was obviously thinking about him, but decided not to pry. With that, the group walked in silence until they reached the entrance to the Citadel Tower. After walking inside, Shepard led everyone else to the elevator and pushed the up button. As the elevator ascended, Kaidan looked over at Tali.
"Hey Tali, I've been wondering something," he said as the Quarian looked at him.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Why do Quarians wear those suits all the time?" the lieutenant inquired, "Is it a cultural thing?"
"No, living in the clean environment of the Flotilla has weakened our immune systems," Tali explained, "The suits protect us from diseases."
"Oh. Well, I'll try not to sneeze," Kaidan said in attempt to make a joke.
While even Tali got a chuckle out of it, Ben was worried. The Quarians were also suffering because of the Council's ignorance? Just how corrupt is this galaxy? Eventually, the elevator reached the top floor and the door opened. Shepard led the group off the elevator and walked up the stairs into the courtyard of the Council chambers. Shepard looked on the second landing and saw Admiral Kahoku at the same terminal they saw him at several days ago.
"Admiral Kahoku?" Shepard said as he approached him. The admiral heard Shepard call out his name and turned around.
"Commander, any word on my missing men?" Admiral Kahoku asked, a mix of hope and dread filling his voice.
"I'm not sure how to tell you this, admiral," Shepard humbly replied as he rubbed the back of his head, "Your men were killed by a Thresher Maw." Admiral Kahoku stared at them in disbelief.
"A… a Thresher Maw?" he stammered back, "That's not… my men wouldn't just stumble into a Thresher nest! Not the entire unit!"
"It wasn't their fault," Ben said, "Someone lured them there with a distress beacon. They planted it just right so they'd be right on the Thresher Maw's nest."
"Dammit!" the admiral grunted as he pounded his fist into his palm, "I had a very bad feeling about this ever since they disappeared. An Alliance beacon used as bait, my unit wiped out…and nobody seems to know anything about it! Nevertheless, I appreciate what you and your team did, Commander. Now I need to do my part. Those marines' families deserve to know why they died."
"Is there anything you need from me?" Shepard asked.
"Not right now, Shepard, but I'll let you and your team know as soon as I find something out." With that, the admiral deactivated the terminal and walked away. Shepard turned to the group.
"Alright, I'm sure that everyone remembers the drill," the commander said as everyone nodded, "Do some shopping, help the crew with any resupplying or repairs, whatever, just as long as you're back and ready to go by 1845 hours." With that, Ben looked at his Omni-tool and saw that the time was 1325. Starting now, everyone had over five hours of downtime, and Ben wanted to make the most of it. He looked over at Liara, who nodded at him in response.
"Anything you want to do first?" Ben asked as he and Liara began to leave to Citadel Tower via elevator.
"I'm not sure, really," Liara answered, "Perhaps it would be best if you decided." Ben was a bit surprised by how insistent she sounded, but decided to go with it.
"I guess I could make do with a new outfit," the teen said, "I don't think you've noticed, but my current clothes make me stand out a little." Liara couldn't help but chuckle at Ben's statement. She then took a quick look at his outfit and noticed that they did look very different from what everyone else was wearing. Just then, the elevator came to a stop and the two walked off. After exiting the tower, Liara led Ben to a nearby terminal and punched in the number for a cab.
"I know a few places in the wards that might be able to fix that," Liara said while they waited. A few minutes later, a skycar arrived and Ben and Liara climbed inside. As they rode away from the Presidium, Liara looked over at Ben with a curious gleam in her eyes.
"So Ben, out of all the aliens on that device, which one is your favorite to change into?" she asked. Ben looked back over at her and held up the Omnitrix.
"Well, I actually have a number of favorite aliens, but if I had to choose one, then it would have to be this guy," Ben replied as he turned the dial until he came to the alien he wanted and showed Liara the hologram of it. What she saw was an alien with a slender humanoid body, two antennae on top of its head, a large green eye in the middle of its face, a long tail, and two front toes on its feet. It also had golden bolts on its fingertips, antennae and tail. The Omnitrix symbol rested on its chest, as well.
"What is this one called?" Liara asked.
"This guy's name is 'Feedback,'" Ben explained, "I unlocked him a couple years ago, and he became a personal favorite almost instantly."
"What are his abilities?" the Asari inquired, eager to learn more about both the alien being shown to her and the person who could turn into it.
"Feedback can do a lot of things," Ben explained as he looked at the picture of the Conductoid, "He has enhanced strength, speed, agility, durability, reflexes, and stamina; he can absorb or redirect any form of energy through his fingers, antennae and tail, and can use it to create electric attacks; his antennae and tail are elastic; and he can fly by using energy blasts to propel himself like a rocket." Liara raised her eyebrow markings at this.
"I can certainly see why you like him," she said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, when I turn into him, I suddenly get this huge boost in confidence," Ben said as he looked at the picture again, "When I use his powers, I feel like I could take on the galaxy."
"So, did you have any memorable adventures with him?" Liara asked. Ben looked over at her with a wide grin.
"Well…" he began as the ride went on.
…
The skycar eventually came to a stop at the upper wards, and the two exited the vehicle before Liara paid the fee and the driver went off to pick up another passenger. After the cab was gone, Ben looked over at Liara.
"So, which way to the shop you mentioned?" the teen asked.
"Just down this way," Liara replied as she began leading Ben down a street that was bustling with both humans and aliens. As they walked, Ben saw a few more species like the ones he had met before on the Presidium. Looking over to his left, he saw a Volus, if his memory served correctly; talking with a Salarian kiosk owner about the price of a product he wanted to buy. Up ahead, he saw a human conversing with a Turian, a Hanar, and a four-legged alien, which he remembered was an Elcor. Seeing so many people from different species interacting and coexisting with each other reminded him of the ports and stations that he had visited during his occasional travels through space. Deciding to think about that later, Ben looked at Liara and cleared his throat.
"Hey Liara, why don't you tell me about yourself?" the teen asked. Liara blushed as she looked over at him.
"Me? I'm afraid I'm not that interesting," the Asari replied, "I spend most of my time on remote digs, unearthing relics in long-forgotten Prothean ruins."
"Sounds dangerous," Ben said, "And also kind of lonely."
"Not always," Liara continued, "Sometimes I would run afoul of indigenous life-forms or a small band of mercenaries or privateers. But I was always careful and proceeded with caution. Until the Geth followed me to Artemis Tau, I never found myself in a situation my biotics could not handle. As for the solitude, that was one aspect that most appealed to me. Sometimes I just need to get away from people." Ben raised an eyebrow at this.
"You don't like other people?" he curiously inquired.
"It's not personal, but I suppose it comes from being a Matriarch's daughter," Liara answered, "People expected me to follow in Benezia's footsteps and become a leader of our people. Matriarchs guide their followers into the future. They seek the truth of what is yet to come. Maybe that's why I became so interested in the secrets of the past." Her cheeks blushed a light purple once again. "It sounds so foolish, but I think I became an archaeologist simply to spite Benezia." Ben chuckled at the last one.
"I used to be the same way when I first got the Omnitrix as a kid," the teen said as they walked up a staircase, "I thought my powers made me invincible, and I got pretty cocky because of it. Besides, all kids try to go against their parents. It's part of growing up." Liara chuckled slightly in response.
"You share the wisdom of the Matriarchs, Ben," the young Asari complimented, "That is exactly what Benezia told me when I told her of my decision." Then her expression changed. "But there was more to it. I felt drawn to the secrets of the past. The Protheans were these wondrous, mysterious beings, and I wanted to know everything about them. And those creatures you transform into possess the same mysterious aspect. That is why I find you and Shepard so fascinating. The Beacon marked Shepard on Eden Prime, and your transformations possess abilities unlike any this galaxy has ever seen before!" Ben couldn't help but grin at Liara's passion.
"It sounds like you want to dissect us in a lab somewhere," Ben joked. Liara widened her eyes at his remark.
"What? No!" she replied in a rushed panic, "I didn't mean to insinuate… uh, I never meant to offend you, Ben. I only meant you would be interesting specimens for… No, that's even worse." At this point, Ben couldn't help but laugh.
"Relax, Liara, I was only joking," Ben said. Liara blushed as she pressed her face against her hand.
"Joking? Oh, by the Goddess, how could I be so dense?" she critiqued herself, "You must think I'm a complete and utter fool. Now you know why I prefer to spend most of my time with data disks and computers. I always seem to end up saying something embarrassing around other people. Can we please pretend the last part of our conversation never happened?" Ben chuckled slightly as he nodded.
Eventually the pair arrived at the shop Liara spoke about and walked inside. After a couple hours of searching around, Ben picked out six new shirts, three pairs of jeans, six pairs of socks and underwear, and a new pair of sneakers, as well as a spacer outfit. After paying for the items and giving them the Normandy's hangar number to have them delivered, Ben and Liara left the store and sat down on a nearby bench. Ben looked at his Omni-tool and saw that the time was now 1605. He then turned to Liara.
"Now that we got that out of the way, what do you want to do next?" he asked. Before Liara could think of anything, a soft gurgle suddenly came from her stomach. As embarrassing as it was, it was still enough to let her make her decision.
"Perhaps we could get some lunch," she replied, "I saw a restaurant on the way that seemed decent enough." As if on cue, Ben's stomach began to grumble as well, causing them both to laugh.
"Alright then, lunch it is," Ben agreed as the two stood up and Liara once again led the way.
…
The restaurant Liara mentioned was an Asari-run facility that not only served food from Thessia, but also a wide variety of dishes from other alien cultures, so when Ben looked at the menu, he didn't feel out of place. Of course, he had eaten alien cuisine before, so he wasn't exactly picky. In the end he placed an order for a cheeseburger and a mango-pineapple smoothie while Liara ordered a calamari gumbo and an Asari beverage similar to iced tea. After receiving their drinks, Ben took a sip of his smoothie and looked at Liara.
"Liara, I hope I don't sound intrusive when I ask this, but do you know why your mother would join up with Saren at all?" the teen asked. Liara looked down at her drink as she furrowed her brow.
"I don't understand it," she answered, "She was always outspoken about the Asari being more involved in shaping galactic events. Maybe she thought that aligning herself with Saren could somehow be for the greater good in the long run." She then took a small sip of her drink. "At least, I hope so." Even though he wasn't in possession of empathic abilities like his cousins Gwen and Sunny, Ben could still see that Liara was definitely feeling conflicting emotions about Benezia.
"This hurts you, doesn't it?" Ben inquired before taking another sip of his smoothie.
"None of this makes any sense to me," Liara replied as she looked Ben in the eye, "I haven't spoken with Benezia in many years, but I know her. This is not like her. Something changed." Just then, the waitress arrived with their orders. Deciding to put their conversation on hold, Ben picked up a fry from his tray and started eating, Liara following his lead.
…
"Ben…" Liara said as she raised her eyebrow markings, "…That was your fourth smoothie." During their entire meal, Ben had practically inhaled his other smoothies before his plate was even half-empty. Ben grinned as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
"Sorry, I couldn't help it," he said before using his napkin to wipe his face, "Smoothies have always been a favorite of mine."
"So I've noticed," Liara joked, both of them getting a laugh out of it. After setting his napkin down, Ben cleared his throat before speaking.
"I'd like to know more about the Asari," Ben said, "There's only so much I can learn from reading on the Extranet." Liara grinned at this. It was always nice when someone else wanted to learn more about her people than just the common stereotypes.
"We were the first species to discover the Citadel," she explained, "We were instrumental in forming the Council, and we always strive to be the voice of peaceful cooperation in galactic disputes. My people believe we are all part of a single galactic community, and that each species contributes something to the greater whole. Although we seek to understand other species, it seems that few of them seek to understand us. The galaxy is filled with rumors and misinformation about my people." Ben raised an eyebrow at the last part.
"What kind of rumors are we talking about?" he asked.
"Most of the inaccuracies are centered around our mating rituals," Liara replied, "My species is mono-gendered. Male and female have no real meaning for us. We still require a partner to reproduce, but the 'second parent' can be of any species or gender." Ben felt something familiar about her explanation, and then he remembered his grandmother.
"Back in my universe, we have a race of aliens called the Anodites," Ben explained, "They're carefree and like roaming around the galaxy seeking adventure and excitement. My grandmother is one of them. Like your people, an Anodite can mate with a person from any other species, but because they lack DNA, their offspring is still from the father race. Me and my cousin are both one-quarter Anodite." This caught Liara by surprise, but then she went back to her own explanation.
"That is a startling similarity, but I believe 'mating' is not quite the proper term. Not as you understand it," she said, "Physical contact may or may not be involved, but it is not an essential element to the union. The true connection is mental. Our physiology allows us to meld with other beings. We can touch the very depths of their minds and explore the genetic memory of their species. We can share the most basic elements of their individual and racial identities. We then pass these traits on to our daughters. It's how we learn to grow as a species and how we develop a better understanding of other races."
"So, what happens to the partner after the union?" Ben asked. He was really enjoying this conversation, mainly for two reasons. The first reason, because it was allowing him to learn more about this galaxy; and the second reason, because he was also getting to know more about Liara herself. Of course he was still getting that annoying tingle in his stomach every time he looked at her, but he tried his best to ignore it.
"Every relationship is different," Liara answered, "Most unions are single encounters, with both partners going their separate ways afterwards, but some are more long-term. Sometimes an Asari and her partner will stay together for many decades."
"And do you know who Benezia chose as her partner?" Ben inquired. Liara looked down at her drink again, a look of what could be described as shame adorning her face.
"She rarely spoke of her partner," she replied, "But I know that my father, if you want to use that term, was another Asari."
"Didn't you say that your people always needed another species to reproduce?" Ben asked. Liara looked up at him with a small smile on her lips.
"Think about it, Ben. If we were not able to mate with our own species, then we'd have died out long before we mastered space flight and left our home world. But unions with our own people are no longer common. Most believe it 'weakens our species.' Asari daughters inherit traits from the father species. If both parents are Asari, then nothing has been gained, or so conventional wisdom would hold." Then her expression changed to one of sadness.
"I am what is sometimes referred to as a 'pureblood,' though no Asari would ever be cruel enough to say it to my face. It is a great insult among my people. It is possible that their union embarrassed Benezia's partner, and she was too ashamed to publically acknowledge me as her offspring."
That took Ben by surprise. An alien species that actually considered genetic purity to be an abomination? That was almost the exact opposite of the Atasians, or more commonly known in his universe as the "Highbreed." Deciding not to dwell on that, Ben decided to try and cheer his friend up.
"Maybe she wanted to meet you but couldn't," Ben said, "Something could've happened to her. She could've passed away." Liara looked at him with a smile on her face.
"You may be right," she agreed, "I hope you are. But still, I have no way to know for sure. Benezia never spoke of her partner. Whatever happened, it must have caused her too much pain to dwell on it. She raised me by herself, though that is not uncommon. Most Asari raise their children alone, particularly if the father species is short-lived. Often the father will pass on long before the child reaches maturity."
"I've read that your kind lives for over a thousand years," Ben said, "What happens when your partner dies?"
"Few sapient species live as long as my kind," Liara replied, "We have learned to take a philosophical approach to our unions. We do not focus on the inevitable loss of our partners, but instead we enjoy the time we spend with them. And even though they are gone, a part of them still lives on in us. The union is something that transcends both time and space."
Ben looked at his Omni-tool and saw that the time was now 1755. Liara did the same with her Omni-tool and nodded, as if knowing what he was going to say next. With that, the two stood up, paid for their meals and left the restaurant before heading off in the direction of the Normandy's hangar. Their walk back to the cab terminal was faster than before, and also in silence, as they were still running through their entire conversation in their heads. When they reached the terminal, Ben approached it and dialed up a cab to take them back to C-Sec Academy. A few minutes later, a cab rolled up and the two climbed inside.
As they rode, Liara played the conversation she had with Ben at the restaurant through her mind again. The entire time they spoke, Ben had always listened to what she said and never interrupted her or cut her off. He only spoke when she was finished. And whenever Ben spoke, Liara looked into his eyes and saw that there was something strange about them. Like for instance, Ben always looked her in the eye and never looked anywhere else.
That said quite a bit about his behavior, and it also gave her some relief. The last time she had a conversation with a human before meeting the crew of the Normandy, his eyes always kept drifting downwards. Ben also revealed from the way he spoke that he had no prejudices or animosities against alien species, mainly due to his Omnitrix allowing him to transform into aliens. Eventually the cab pulled up at the academy, where they paid the fee and went into the facility. After walking into the main level of the academy, Ben and Liara went to the elevator that led to the Normandy's hangar. After walking inside, Ben pressed the up button and the elevator began its climb to the docking bay. After a moment, Liara broke the long silence.
"Thank you for spending time with me, Ben," Liara said as she looked Ben in the eye, "I had a good time today." Ben smiled and nodded.
"So did I," he replied, "We should do this again sometime." Liara returned the smile as the elevator reached its destination and opened its doors. However, just as Ben and Liara got off the elevator, they saw a small squadron of C-Sec officers consisting of two humans, two Turians and an Asari standing by the Normandy's airlock. Ben got a feeling in his gut that something was wrong here, and he approached the squad cautiously.
"Is something wrong, officer?" Ben asked as the leader, one of the humans, turned to face him.
"No, at least I hope not," the man replied, his voice carrying a thick French accent, "My name is Lieutenant Girard. There is a woman here. We rescued her from Batarian slavers a few weeks ago. She's from Mindoir. I guess she was taken during the raids." That caused Ben's eyes to widen as he remembered reading about the Batarian attacks on human colony worlds.
"Is she alright?" Ben asked, hoping that the situation wouldn't deteriorate further.
"No. She's a little… messed up," Girard replied, "She got free somehow and grabbed a gun from one of my guys. Now she's holed up over by those shipping crates near the end of the docking bay. She says she wants to die." Upon hearing that, Ben's stomach felt like lead. He knew that the situation might be fragile, but he just couldn't let someone take their own life when he could help them. It was in that moment that he made his decision.
"Let me talk to her," Ben requested. One of the Turian officers, this one a female by Ben's guess, looked at him.
"I don't think that's a good idea," she said, "If she sees you, then she might pull the trigger, and someone might end up getting hurt or killed."
"I get that, Officer, but it's likely that she'll have a higher rate of snapping if she sees you coming due to the fact that your weapons are clearly visible," Ben countered, "If she sees you trying to get near her, she'll just think you're going to hurt her."
"But she stole my weapon," the other human replied.
"And if she sees you approaching, then she'll think you're coming to take your weapon back and possibly harm her," Ben countered again, "I don't have any weapons on me, nor am I part of the police here. She'll be less likely to freak out and hurt someone else or herself if she sees me." Liara was impressed by Ben's logic. Judging from the way he spoke, he had clearly been in this situation before. Lieutenant Girard was also impressed.
"Alright, but be careful," he said, "She's been through enough. We have a sedative to calm her down, but we couldn't get close to her. Every step gets her more wound up."
"Let's hope we won't need it," Ben said as Girard handed him a pill.
"Just don't push her too hard," Girard instructed, "If she seems liable to pull the trigger, back off or walk away. I am willing to wait her out. Good luck." Ben nodded before turning and taking a deep breath. As he approached the crates, Ben knew that he would have to handle this with all the care and tact he could muster if everyone was getting out of this alive. He got to the crates and saw a young woman who looked right around his age standing behind them. The woman went into panic mode and pointed a pistol at him.
"S-stop! What do you… w-what are you?!" the girl asked in a shaky voice, the pistol trembling in her hand. Ben got a good look at the girl and saw that her hair was cut thin, like someone had wanted to strip her of any dignity she had; she had black markings under her eyes, which indicated that she either wasn't getting much sleep or had difficulty staying asleep; and her body was thin from malnourishment. Quite frankly, it was a miracle that girl had strength enough to stand up, let alone hold a gun. Ben calmly looked the girl in the eye as he answered.
"My name is Ben Tennyson," he answered in a soft friendly tone, "Lieutenant Girard is letting me talk with you. What's your name?"
"Animals don't get names," the girl replied, not lowering the gun, "The masters put their symbols on her, hot metals all over her back. She screams when they do it." Even though he wasn't showing it on the outside, Ben was absolutely livid on the inside. He knew that slavers were cruel, irredeemable people, but to brand a person like cattle? That was going too far. But Ben had no time for anger when a person's life was in the balance. Taking a deep breath to calm down, Ben spoke again.
"You're not an animal," Ben calmly said, "What did your parents call you? Do you remember them?"
"She remembers a lot of things," the girl replied before lowering the gun, "Talitha. They call her that. Sh-she doesn't remember the rest. Leave her alone." Ben was once again fighting an internal storm of anger. This poor girl was taken from her family, stripped of her identity and tortured to the point of only referring to herself in third person. Ben couldn't stand what she went through, but he knew that he couldn't change the past. Deciding to put his anger aside again, Ben spoke to Talitha.
"What happened to your parents?" Ben asked. Talitha looked down at the floor.
"There's… she sees them," she answered, "They yell. Run, hide. They hit the masters. But the masters, they have lights and hoses. Daddy's… he's melting!" Ben was horrified at that. The slavers torched her parents alive with flamethrowers?!
Guess that's the typical mindset of a slaver, Ben thought, if they can't take you alive, then you're just dead weight to them. His musings were cut off when he heard Talitha speak again.
"She… she doesn't want to see that! Don't make her look! Don't look! Stupid, stupid!" At this point, Ben was now fighting not anger, but instead sorrow at watching the poor girl beat herself up over what had happened.
"I know it hurts, Talitha. I'm sorry," Ben said, "But you need to deal with this. What happened to them? Think about it." Talitha took her hands off her face as she looked Ben in the eye.
"When she thinks, water comes out of her eyes," Talitha whimpered, "The masters beat her when she wastes water, so she doesn't think anymore. She sees them. Mommy and Daddy burning in white light. Melting, going to pieces. They can't even say anything to her." Her eyes started welling with tears.
"They're dead, Ben. They try to save her and the masters burn them. Can she stop remembering now? Please?!" As much as it pained him, Ben knew that he had to keep her talking.
"I'm going to take one step towards you now. Okay?" he asked. When Talitha said nothing, Ben did as he said and took one small step forward. However, Talitha held the gun back up.
"No! She's no good. Don't want to be handled again!" she wailed. Ben put his hands up to show no harm.
"You won't be handled again, Talitha," Ben said reassuringly, "I just want to help you. What's the last thing you remember from Mindoir?"
"Fires," Talitha muttered, "Smells of smoke and burning meat, animals screaming as the masters cage them. As they put hot metals to their backs, put wires into their brains." Then she started to whisper, though more to herself than to Ben.
"She pretends to be dead. If she's dead, she can't work. But they know. She hopes they'll leave, but they put her in the pen. She didn't fight. She was already broken when they put the wires in." Ben lowered his hands before he spoke.
"Talitha, you were, what six years old?" the teen replied, "No one blames you for staying quiet and hoping they'd leave. The only one blaming you is you." Talitha sniffled as she looked at the floor again.
"She wants to believe that," she said, "She wants to believe that nothing would change. She doesn't want to be there anymore. In the pen, in the cages, lying quietly while they do things to her." Sensing another opportunity to approach her, Ben put his hands up again.
"I'm going to take another step toward you. Okay?" With that, Ben took another small step toward Talitha. She didn't raise the gun this time, but she was still on the defensive.
"She doesn't want… don't touch her!" she almost cried. Ben lowered his hands and looked Talitha in the eye.
"How did you get here, Talitha?" Ben inquired, "Did you escape?"
"She can't escape," Talitha replied, "They have chains, wires and needles. You go too far, they take your brains away. Then animals like her come, animals with guns. They make the masters explode. She tries to fix the masters, so they won't be mad at her. She puts all the reds and purples back in, but they don't move. Then the other animals take her." At this point, Ben almost felt like crying. The Batarians had put this girl through years of torture and abuse, and yet they were still the only people she ever knew growing up.
"You were just scared," Ben said, swallowing back a lump in his throat, "All you had known for most of your life was the masters' abuse, so you tried to heal them."
"She doesn't want to see other animals," Talitha said, "They're not real. They can't be real. They can't see her. If the animals can see her, then this is real. But it can't be real. The wires, the chains, the hitting. This doesn't happen to her. It's another girl. A dirty girl, stupid girl! She deserves it! It… it happens to her, doesn't it? They see her, so it's real. She doesn't want it to be real." At this point, Talitha looked like she was about to break down in tears, so Ben decided to act.
"I'm going to take one more step forward, alright?" he asked. Talitha watched him approach, but didn't do anything this time.
"Please don't touch her," she cried, "She's dirty. You'll catch it." Ben looked her in the eye and smiled warmly.
"Talitha, listen to me, okay?" he said in a similar manner to a parent and a saddened child, "I have something for you that'll help you fall asleep." With that, he reached into his pocket and took out the pill that Girard had given him. "When you go to sleep, the police officers will take to a place where you can get better." Ben held out his hand and gave the pill to Talitha, who quickly put it in her mouth and swallowed it.
"Will she have bad dreams?" Talitha asked. Ben simply approached her and gently placed arms around Talitha, embracing her in a soft, caring hug and allowing her to cry on his shoulder.
"No bad dreams," he said, "Instead, you'll dream a place that's warm and safe, and when you wake up, you'll actually be there."
"She'd like that," Talitha said between sobs, "It hurts when she… when I remember… me. But she wants… to… remember." With that, Talitha went limp in Ben's arms. Gently lowering both himself and Talitha's unconscious body down, Ben picked up the pistol and put it inside his jacket before lowering her back into his left arm and scooping up her thighs into his right arm. Holding Talitha in his arms bridal-style, Ben slowly and carefully walked back down the dock and gave the sleeping girl to the Asari officer.
"She took the sedative," Ben said as he gave the gun back to the other human officer, "She wants to get better."
"Thank you, Mr. Tennyson, that means a lot," Lieutenant Girard said gratefully, "I didn't want to hurt her. It's just that seeing curled up into a ball and shivering… she was only six years old when they took her. Why the hell are we out here when we can't even keep one little girl safe?"
"Bad things happen to good people, lieutenant," an unexpected voice said, "That's why you, me and Ben are here." Ben looked behind him and saw Commander Shepard standing behind him with the rest of the team. "Don't wring your hands over her. Help her." Girard nodded.
"Yes sir," he replied, "Thanks again for your help, Mr. Tennyson. We'll be taking her to one of our counseling centers. They'll help her get better." With that, Girard and most of the squad began walking away, but the male Turian officer approached Ben.
"That was an incredible thing you did back there," he said as he extended his right hand, "I used to think that humans were just selfish and egotistical, but you've certainly proven me wrong. Thank you." Ben shook his hand and nodded. The Turian nodded back and followed his squad back to the elevator. Ben turned back around and faced Shepard and the team.
"That was one of the most selfless thing I've ever seen, Ben," Shepard said as he put a hand on Ben's shoulder, "Girard told us the whole situation. The Batarians left deep scars on humanity, and it's up to people like us to patch them up." Ben looked up at Shepard and grinned.
"Yeah, but that's still just one more thing to put on the list of things that need to change in this galaxy," the teen replied as Garrus, Kaidan, Wrex and Tali went back onto the ship.
"It's funny, when we were leaving the Presidium and heading down to the wards, we came across a retired Alliance marine who claims to have served with my mom during the Skyllian Blitz," Shepard said, "I'm calling her about it when we leave."
"See you on board," Ben said as Shepard began walking into the Normandy's airlock. Just then, Ashley stepped up.
"I saw how you and that Turian C-Sec officer shook hands, and it got me thinking," the chief said.
"Anything in particular?" Ben asked, hoping that Ashley wasn't going to make another snide comment about aliens, especially when Liara was right behind her.
"You and Shepard were right," Ashley replied, "Maybe my opinions on the other races are a bit skewed." She then turned to Liara. "Sorry about what I said back on Therum, Liara." Liara smiled and nodded.
"No hard feelings, chief," Liara replied as the three walked inside the ship. After being decontaminated, they entered the CIC just in time to see Shepard go into the briefing room to contact his mother about that marine he mentioned. After they walked down the stairs and into the crew area, Ashley took the elevator down to the armory, no doubt to check up on her weapons and gear before the next mission, while Ben and Liara stayed in the main crew area. After a moment of silence, Liara turned to Ben and surprised him with a hug.
"You did a great thing back there, Ben," she said as Ben returned the hug.
"Thanks," Ben replied before he and Liara broke apart and she went back to her room, while Ben took the elevator down to the barracks and went straight to his own room and crashed down onto his bed, content to get some much-needed rest after an eventful day.
…
And the first chapter of the New Year is finally finished! Sorry I took so long with this one, but when you're constantly moving and unpacking things in your house, that doesn't leave you a lot of time to write. Anyway, Ben and Liara's bond has been cemented, and it will only continue to build up from here.
Next chapter: the Normandy crew visits the moon to deal with a rogue VI, then afterwards begins part one of the Hostile Takeover side mission. Keep in mind that I won't be including most of the side missions like the mineral scouting and Turian insignia missions since they were completely pointless. That being said, I will be including some of the side missions, just not all of them.
Also to avoid any confusion in the future, my Shepard's backstory is as follows: Spacer, Sole Survivor, Paragade.
As always, read, enjoy and review!