Chapter 9: Hostile Takeover, part 2
Ben took a deep breath as he and the rest of the team took their seats in the Mako. After everyone finished preparing for the next part of the mission, Shepard tapped the communicator on the vehicle's console.
"Joker, what's our ETA to Klensal?" Shepard inquired.
"ETA is five minutes, Commander," Joker replied. A few minutes later, everyone felt the ship lurch forward, indicating that it finished its FTL jump. Once the Normandy arrived to the surface of the planet, the bay door opened, and Shepard drove the Mako in yet another stomach-churning airdrop. Once the vehicle landed on the surface, Shepard punched the coordinates into the navigator and began to drive. As they drove on, Ben replayed the conversation he had with Shepard back in the crew bay.
He knew the chances of him having to kill an enemy, even if only to protect himself or someone else, was high. Of course he would do whatever it took to avoid that situation, but he doubted – no, he knew – he couldn't put it off forever. Sooner or later he would have to make a choice. Shepard cast an eye every now and then in Ben's direction, seeing how deep in thought his teammate was. Probably thinking about what they talked about earlier. The commander took a deep breath through his nose. Ben had reassured him that he understood their situation and Shepard believed him, but saying and actually being ready were two different things. Liara also looked at her teammate and friend with concern. Ben literally said nothing since they got into the vehicle. Deciding to try and get him to come back to the surface, she reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright, Ben?" the Asari asked. Ben looked up and nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine," the teen replied, "Just got lost in thought, that's all." Liara knew that Ben was lying, but knew better than to press any further. Just then, the Mako began to violently shake and rock from side to side.
"What the hell's going on up there?" Ashley asked as she gripped her restraints.
"Just hit some bumpy terrain," Shepard replied, "The quickest way to the mercs' base is over these hills." Everyone groaned in response, even Wrex. As the Mako jerked from side to side as Shepard drove over the uneven terrain, Ben had to place his hand on Liara's shoulder to both help her relax and to remind himself that there was at least someone he could talk to about his problems. Eventually, the Mako came to a stop on a hillside. After taking his hands off the control console, Shepard turned to his team and cleared his throat.
"The enemy's base is at the bottom of this ravine," the commander explained, "They'll have mounted positions placed around the front of the base, but they have a large blind spot behind them. I'll take Ashley and Garrus, and we'll snipe any guards on the outside. When the enemy has been dealt with, we'll drive around front and enter the base." With that, Shepard put his helmet on, opened the back door of the vehicle and led Ashley and Garrus, who out their own helmets on, outside to carry out their plan. After they left, Ben realized that Shepard deliberately chose to leave him in the Mako, most likely because he knew of the teen's reluctance to take a life. Liara noticed Ben's expression and placed a hand on his shoulder once again to try and cheer him up.
…
Shepard, Ashley and Garrus drew out their sniper rifles and got ready to carry out their plan. Garrus crouched down as low as his anatomy would allow and held his rifle close to his eye, using the scope to get a better look at his target.
"See anything?" Shepard asked.
"Just like you said, Shepard," Garrus replied, "They have mounted sniper positions set up around the front of the base, as well as entrenched positions around them. If we take out the snipers first, the rest of the guards will scatter and make it easier for us to pick them off." Shepard patted the Turian on the back in approval.
"Good job, Garrus," the commander complimented, "Let's get it done." Just as he was about to get into position, Ashley spoke up.
"Sir, I have a question," the chief said as Shepard turned to her, "Why did you leave Ben in the Mako? He could easily turn into that XLR8 thing and take them out in a matter of seconds."
Shepard mulled over his words carefully. For one thing, he didn't want to risk Ben freezing up like he had earlier. As much as Shepard didn't want to admit it, such actions would make Ben more of a liability than an asset at the moment. At the same time, even though he wanted Ben to be ready for the worst did not mean he was going to force the young hero into such a scenario. Still, what should he tell Ashley and Garrus? He didn't like lying to his teammates, but he wasn't going to divulge such personal information unless Ben himself gave the all clear or if doing so was absolutely necessary.
"Ben's our trump card," he settled on, "I want him on standby while we make sure these guys don't have any surprises. Who knows what they would do if they figured out what Ben was really capable of." Ashley nodded. She was sure that word of Ben's incredible device had to be spreading by now. For all they knew, other crime bosses were already hiring mercenaries to get their hands on it. Still, she felt that something was off about the commander's reasoning. The reasoning itself was sound but Shepard had never gone out of his way to keep Ben's powers a secret before, so why now? Her guess was that something happened while they had been separated, and judging from the look Garrus was giving Shepard off to the side, the Turian was thinking something along those lines. Shepard fought the urge to sigh. He had a feeling his excuse was going to be a long shot.
Fortunately Garrus stepped in. Like Ashley, he figured something was up but decided that they would worry about it after they did their job. "Come on, we got some guards to take care of." Shepard was grateful for both the interruption and the fact that Garrus hadn't pressed the subject but he was sure they would bring the subject up later. Getting into position and looking down the scope of his sniper rifle, Shepard narrowed down the first target and pulled the trigger, killing one of the tower guards. Just as Garrus predicted, the rest of the guards on the ground tried to scramble for cover, only to stop cold when Ashley picked one off with a clean headshot.
"Nice shot, chief," Garrus complimented, "Can't beat my score, though." Ashley looked over at the Turian, an eyebrow raised behind her helmet.
"Is that a challenge, Garrus?" Ashley asked in a playful tone. Garrus shot down another tower guard before looking back over.
"Just an invitation," the Turian sniper answered. With that, Ashley and Garrus got back into position as Shepard picked off the last tower guard. One by one, the guards fell to the barrage of sniper fire. With the targets cleared, the three put up their weapons and went back to the Mako. After getting back in, Shepard strapped himself in and started up the vehicle.
"Get ready, everyone. We're going in," Shepard said as he began to drive. After moving the Mako down a slope on the opposite side of the ravine and parking outside the complex, the squad put on their helmets, stepped out of the vehicle and got ready for combat. Ashley, Wrex and Garrus drew their assault rifles, Kaidan and Liara brought out their pistols, Tali and Shepard readied their shotguns, and Ben activated the Omnitrix. After scrolling through the alien dial, Ben found the alien he wanted and pressed the button. One flash of green light later, the group saw an 8-foot-tall alien that looked like a walking furnace, with three slits on the helmet producing a red light from inside and the Omnitrix symbol on the chest. Liara saw this form and recognized it from the data pad.
"NRG!" the alien shouted in a Russian-sounding accent. Ashley looked over at Liara and tapped her on the shoulder.
"So what can this guy do?" Ashley asked in a hushed tone.
"NRG is a being composed of living radiation," Liara explained, having studied Ben's data pad thoroughly, "The armor he's wearing not only increases his strength and durability, but also serves as a means of controlling his power. He can control heat and radiation, can produce light from his own body and is also immune to extreme temperatures and radioactivity. Outside of the suit, NRG can also fly, phase through objects and even absorb energy. However, his body gives off incredible amounts of radiation, so he can only leave the armor for a short time."
"So if he leaves the suit for at least ten minutes, he'll contaminate an entire city block or something?" Ashley asked.
"Not to the point where people would have to leave it, but still bad enough for a long-term quarantine," Liara replied, "But even then, NRG also wears a special suit under the armor that serves as a backup containment unit." Suddenly the group heard the sound of creaking metal and saw NRG pry the door to the base wide open.
"Let's do this," the Prypiatosian-B said as the team walked up the ramp. Once they entered the underground facility, Shepard opened the first door and turned to the team.
"Alright, here's the plan," Shepard said as everyone looked over him, "Kaidan will lead the strike team and keep the main enemy distracted while Garrus and I get to the boss and take him out. With any luck, this gang will be a bit less organized than the one we took down earlier." With that, the team walked through the entryway and into the main room, where they were once again greeted by gunfire. Most of the team quickly scattered to find cover, though NRG had no need to due to his armor. As the bullets bounced off him, the Prypiatosian-B fired a blast of pure nuclear energy from his visor and destroyed a nearby rock, forcing the two human mercs hiding behind it into the open, where Wrex and Tali gunned them down. As NRG punched a Krogan mercenary and sent him flying into a wall, he saw Shepard and Garrus make a mad dash for the door on the opposite end of the room.
"Looks like everything's working out," he muttered before backhanding a Turian gang member and knocking him out cold. If anyone else had the power Ben possessed, they likely would have finished the Turian, but NRG simply stepped aside and threw a box at another mercenary. Ashley saw NRG's nonlethal attack and raised an eyebrow underneath her helmet.
What the hell is going on? She thought before firing a burst from her rifle. There was clearly something Shepard was trying to hide, and she wasn't the only one who suspected something. Everyone else took notice of the way NRG almost looked like he was trying to avoid hurting his opponents.
Looks like Shepard will have to explain when we get back to the ship, Ashley mused before firing another round.
…
Shepard and Garrus made it to the other side of the room, while taking down a few mercs in the process, and got ready to walk through the door to take down the boss. Before they went further, however, Garrus spoke up.
"Commander, I need to know something," the Turian said as Shepard pressed the button to open the door, "Why were you acting so nervous when Ashley asked about leaving Ben back in the Mako? In my time at C-Sec, I was trained to tell when someone was hiding something." Shepard fought the urge to sigh and shake his head.
"When this is all over, Ben and I will explain everything back on the ship," the commander replied. Deciding to go with that, Garrus followed Shepard through the walkway toward their objective.
…
NRG swung his large fist and sent a mercenary flying into a wall, where Wrex finished him off with a thunderous shotgun blast. Taking a moment to scan the area, Kaidan checked his Omni-tool for enemy signatures, but found none.
"All hostiles terminated," the lieutenant said as he lowered his pistol. NRG turned back into Ben and everyone else stowed his or her weapons. Just as he was about to order the team to head back to the surface, he heard Shepard's voice on his communicator.
"Kaidan, come in," Shepard practically shouted.
"Loud and clear, sir," Kaidan replied as he looked in the direction the commander and Garrus ran off in.
"Garrus and I are pinned down," the commander answered, "We need backup ASAP!" With that, the communication was cut off by a gunshot, and Kaidan turned to the team.
"Ash, I want you to take Ben and Wrex with you and get Shepard and Garrus out of there now!" Kaidan barked, concern for his leader apparent in his voice. Ashley drew out her assault rifle in response.
"Roger that, LT," she said before leading her teammates to Shepard's location. As she watched them leave, Liara couldn't help but feel a knot forming in her stomach.
I hope that Ben doesn't let the others know about his hesitation to kill, Liara thought as she saw Ashley open the door, not knowing about the chief's growing suspicion.
…
As soon as the door opened, Ashley led her teammates to the room at the end of the corridor, the sounds of gunfire echoing across the cave like thunder. Ben quickly activated the Omnitrix and turned into the familiar form of Chromastone.
"Alright guys, let's get in there and kick some ass!" Ashley said as she turned around the corner and mowed down a Turian guard. Wrex chuckled before running in and charging into a human guard before blasting a hole in his torso with his shotgun. Chromastone, however, fired an energy blast at a nearby crate, forcing the guards behind it out of cover. Quickly taking action, the Crystalsapien darted forward and attacked them. After punching the first guard in the face and knocking him to the ground, Chromastone turned and grabbed the other guard's rifle, using it as a bludgeoning weapon to topple him. On the other side of the room, Shepard saw Chromastone using the same tactics he used back on Mavigon as Upgrade. So far so good, but Shepard wondered how long their luck was going to last before they got back to the ship. Unfortunately some close gunfire told him that he should focus on staying alive too. Shepard's eyes scanned the area for the crime boss. Would he try and take them on despite the overwhelming odds? Or would he let his men fend for themselves while he bailed out in the confusion? He saw one of the guards coming for him and quickly gunned him down.
Meanwhile, Chromastone was thinking similar thoughts as he slugged another guard across the face; the blow, combined with the impact of the crate the guy had been standing behind was enough to knock him out. Everything was going smooth but the Crystalsapien didn't want to risk relaxing just yet. Chromastone staggered when he felt something blast his side but his silicon body allowed him to shrug off the full force. He turned around to see the crime boss ducking behind some crates. Raising a hand, Chromastone fired another energy blast but the man was already on the move. Probably noticed how his forces were dwindling and his exit was cut off. They had him now!
"I've got the leader in my sights!" He declared to the others.
"Alright, Ben!" Shepard shouted back. "Take him down! We'll cover you!" And he followed up this statement by firing at another one of the guards. Chromastone nodded and ran after the crime boss. The poor guy thought he could lose his golem-like pursuer by running around the large stack of crates between them, but Chromastone easily saw through this pitiful ploy and was waiting at the other end. Desperately, the boss whipped out his pistol and started firing wildly. Chromastone put his hands on his hips as the bullets ricocheted off his body.
Chromastone grinned as he raised a hand, gathering energy in his palm. "Lights out." The crime boss barely had any time to move before the Crystalsapien fired a low-powered energy blast that knocked him off his feet and slammed him against the crates. He sank to the ground in a heap. All around him, the sounds of gunfire died down.
"Ben!" Shepard shouted. "What's your status?"
"The boss is down!" Chromastone shouted back.
"Good! Looks like we got the last of his men." The sound of footsteps echoed through the base as Shepard and the rest of the crew caught up to Chromastone, who turned back into Ben the moment they arrived.
"Nice one, Ben," Shepard said, studying the unconscious crime boss. "Helena Blake will be overjoyed to learn that both those scum are no longer a problem."
Ashley, on the other hand, frowned as she looked over the crime boss. Like all the other mercenaries Ben had fought, he had simply knocked this guy unconscious instead of killing him. Wrex seemed to notice the same thing.
"You let him live?" The Krogan asked Ben, his narrowed. Ben and Shepard both tensed as Liara felt a churning in her stomach. Was this it? Was Ben's secret about to be revealed? Liara wasn't sure how the others were feeling but she was pretty sure they wanted it to be discussed under better circumstances than this.
Shepard decided to at least buy Ben enough time to get to the ship first. "The guy's already down, no need to kill him. Besides, we can always turn him over to C-Sec." While it was strongly implied that both bosses were to be eliminated,there was nothing that said they couldn't just be incapacitated and handed over to the authorities. Liara was about to speak up when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
"Ben! Get down!"
Without thinking, she ran forward and tackled Ben just as a bullet zipped past them and embedded the wall across from them. Turns out Ben had underestimated the crime boss's shields, which allowed him to withstand the brunt of Chromastone's blast. Having realized he was outmatched, the crime boss decided to play possum, and his gamble had paid off. Once Ben had changed back to normal, the boss desperately tried to take him out. Unfortunately for him, Liara had managed to intervene and once the others realized the boss was still alive and able to fight, they quickly gunned him down.
Ben and Liara found themselves starring into each other's eyes, time seeming to freeze for a brief moment before they realized the compromising position they were. Liara quickly picked herself up before reaching a hand out to Ben.
"Are you alright?" Liara asked as Ben gratefully took her arm and she helped him to his feet.
"I'm fine," Ben admitted. "How about you?"
Liara quickly checked herself over then sighed in relief. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine. A bit shaken up, but I'm fine."
"That was way too close, Ben," a frowning Ashley said, "That's why you should have just finished him off. If Liara had been just a second too late, either you or her would've…"
"But we're not," Liara said, coming to Ben's defense. "And in the end that's what matters, correct?"
"It was still too close," Ashley said crossly. Ben sighed, knowing Ashley was right. He held back and it could've cost him or Liara their lives. Guess there was no really use in trying to hide it out: time to come clean.
Shepard could see the resignation in Ben's face and understood. "Alright," he quickly cut in. "How about we return to the Normandy first? After that, Ben can explain everything." Ashley gave a curt nod and already turned on her heels, making her way to the Mako, Wrex not far behind her, though at a less tense pace. Garrus at least gave Ben a look of concern and slight understanding.
"Is everything alright, Shepard?" Kaidan asked, realizing that he and Tali might have been missing out on something during this whole mission.
"When we get back to the Normandy, Kaidan," Shepard repeated. Seeing that he wasn't going to get his answer right away, Kaidan simply nodded and followed the others, Garrus and Tali right behind him. Once the others were further ahead, Shepard looked over at Ben, who was currently looking down at his feet. "You okay, Ben?" He knew that it was a stupid question because it was obvious Ben was not okay, but Shepard wanted to let Ben talk about it on his own terms.
"I've been better," Ben said honestly before looking over at Liara. "I'm sorry, Liara." Liara felt her heart ache at how downtrodden her friend was. He had tried sticking to his ideals and it almost backfired. And what's more, it happened just after he had told Shepard and herself about his situation, as if the universe itself was playing a cruel joke on poor Ben.
"Ben, please don't do this to yourself," She said softly. "The fact is that we are all alive."
"But Ashley has a point," Ben argued. "It was too close."
"That just means you need to be more careful next time," Liara pointed out. "I believe the human saying is "live and learn", correct?"
"Liara's right, Ben," Shepard said, putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Now come on. Let's get back to the Mako." Ben looked up at Shepard before nodding and making his way to the others.
…
As he left, Shepard turned to Liara. "Thanks."
"I understand that Ben cannot always afford to simply incapacitate his enemies," the archaeologist told the commander. "But I won't let him be pressured. Or consumed with guilt."
Shepard smiled at the conviction in Liara's words. She really did care for Ben. "I appreciate that, Liara. It's important to remind Ben that he does have people on his side."
"I must ask, though. How do you think the crew will react when they find out?"
Shepard sighed. "They're probably going to disagree but I'm sure they'll be more understanding than Ben thinks they will. I'll speak up for Ben to make sure they do."
"What about Gunnery Chief Williams?" Liara asked, worried that Ashley's quick temper might come into play. While she and Ben were on much better terms, Liara feared that this situation would be a setback.
Shepard crossed his arms. Like Liara he had a feeling that she, and possibly Wrex, would be the most outspoken against Ben's vow. Shepard was surprised that Liara had singled Ashley out, however. He wondered if maybe she was bothered by the Gunnery Chief's attitude towards her when they had first met. "Ashley might be impulsive and quick to assume things, but as long as we give a thorough explanation I'm sure she'll be just as understanding as the others. If she isn't, I'll make sure to keep her and anyone else in line. I won't let anyone on this team be singled out and treated like a pariah." Liara smiled in gratitude at the commander, who smiled back.
"Come on," He said to her. "Let's get back to the Mako and then get this whole thing straightened out at the Normandy."
Liara nodded. "Right."
…
The ride in the Mako was quiet but fraught with tension. Ashley and Wrex avoided eye contact with everyone, Kaidan looked confused and frustrated by being confused, Garrus and Tali kept shooting concerned glances over at Shepard, who in turn shared concerned glances with Liara towards Ben, who was focusing down at the Mako's floor rather than look at anyone. As before, Liara put her hand on Ben's shoulder. Having been so caught up in his thoughts and feelings, Ben flinched at the unexpected contact. Liara smiled when he looked up at her and he gave a weak smile back. It wasn't much, but it was something.
…
Once the Mako was back inside the Normandy and everyone dismounted it, Shepard decided to go ahead and get the elephant in the room out of the way.
"Alright, everyone," he said to the team, "To the crew bay." There were no objections and everyone practically seemed to rush to the crew bay. Shepard made his way over to Ben; Liara walking by the young man's other side. Once everyone was sitting down and settled in, Shepard nodded his head towards Ben, giving him a pat on the back for good measure. Ben took a deep breath, faced the rest of the team, and began.
"I've already told Shepard and Liara this, but after what just happened, the rest of you deserve to know too," He said. "In my universe, I always went out of my way avoid killing anyone when I fought them. Their deaths were always caused by unintended collateral damage or because of their own actions. The one time I ever killed someone, when I had no other choice; I made a vow that I would never do it again. I knew that I would end up in missions like what we just went through, but I wasn't really prepared for what we faced. I was hoping I could last a little longer than this, but I made a mistake."
After a moment of silence, Wrex snorted. "The galaxy's a cruel place, kid. Idealistic crap like that is just going to get you killed."
"Wrex is right, Ben," Ashley said. She didn't sound as cross as everyone expected her to be but her tone did imply she wasn't pleased. "There are dangerous people out there who aren't going to show you mercy. And you don't always get the pleasure of just knocking them out. Sometimes, it's just them or us. You understand that?"
"Hey, ease up," Garrus spoke up. "The fact that he's managed to go this long without killing anyone on purpose says a lot about his accomplishments and abilities."
"I say it caused him to get soft," Wrex said. "That or the enemies in his world are just that pathetic."
"That's not fair!" Tali exclaimed, actually getting up from her seat. "You can't just tell Ben to start killing people and expect him to just be okay with it!"
"Ben's not like us, Ashley," Kaidan threw in. "We've been trained for this sort of thing for years. Ben is still young and is mostly self-taught. We can't expect him to suddenly start doing things our way."
"Well until then, maybe we shouldn't take him on missions," Ashley countered and Ben winced at the sharpness in her tone. "Don't get me wrong, his abilities are a great help, but he's also a liability if he hesitates. I don't know how many times I need to say it, but we were really lucky this time. We won't always be." Ashley then turned to Shepard. "Commander, you can't be okay with this!"
"I've already told Ben that there will be times where he may have to do what needs to be done, but I also let him know that I respect his morals."
"It's too risky!" Ashley argued.
"I have faith in Ben," Shepard said, crossing his arms. "And I won't let you give him a hard time when he's already beating himself up as it is." Everyone looked towards Ben, who was honestly wishing he were somewhere else at the moment.
Ashley took a deep breath, but when her voice came out shaky, nobody knew if it was because she was calming down or just restraining her anger. "With all due respect, Commander, are you really willing to jeopardize our lives? It would make much more sense if you just left him out of missions until he's ready."
"I understand your concerns, Ashley, and no, I'm not going to jeopardize this team," Shepard replied empathetically, "But at the same time, it won't help Ben any by keeping him out of missions. I will make sure he's absolutely ready to come with us beforehand."
"Is that really a good idea?" Ashley countered. "What if Ben says he's ready but freezes up in battle?"
"Excuse me," Liara spoke up in a soft but firm voice. "But shouldn't you ask Ben for his opinion?" Once again everyone's attention was back on Ben. Shepard walked over to the young hero and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Ben," the commander said in a tone that reminded Ben an awful lot of Grandpa Max, "Ashley does have a point. As much as I understand what you're going through, I can't risk the lives of the rest of the team. If you are to come with us, I have to know that you are one hundred percent certain that you can handle what we're up against."
Ben wanted to open his mouth and assure the commander that he would, but after what happened at Klensal, he felt that it wouldn't be truthful. Shepard saw the hesitation.
"You don't need to answer right now, Ben" Shepard told him kindly. "A decision like this does take time and it'll be a while before we meet up with Blake. Go and get some rest, use that free time to think your answer over."
Ben was definitely grateful for Shepard's support right now. "Thank you, Shepard." Shepard nodded and patted Ben's shoulder, stepping out of the way. Ben headed towards his room, the eyes of the others on him as he left. Liara quickly followed after him. As they left, Shepard turned his head toward Ashley and Wrex. The Krogan warrior simply let out a huff and went on his way. Ashley, seeing that everyone else was more or less against her, also left the crew bay without saying another word.
Garrus shook his head and leaned forward in his seat. "Well, this has been quite a day. I'm surprised though, I had no idea."
"Thank you all for your support," Shepard said to Garrus, Tali, and Kaidan. "Ben really needs that right now."
"Poor Ben," Tali said sympathetically. "This must be so hard for him. And those two weren't making things any better."
"Ashley may be rough around the edges, but she does what she thinks is best to keep others alive," Shepard said.
"I get where she's coming from," Kaidan said. "But come on, getting on Ben's case like that won't help. Granted, her concerns were legit, I can't deny that. If Ben's not suitable for missions, he will have to sit them out for the time being."
"Do you think he will be?" Tali asked, addressing the question to the others.
"I really can't say," Garrus told her. "He might, he might not. All we can really do is wait and see."
"I would appreciate it if you continued lending Ben your support and understanding," Shepard said. "We may not have gone exactly what Ben has gone through, but I think we know that feeling when we first killed someone." The other three crewmates nodded in agreement.
"At least he has Liara with him," Kaidan said before grinning, "I'm sure he's going to be okay." Garrus chuckled and Tali giggled despite themselves. They had seen the way the two interacted with each other and were all but certain that there was something going on between Ben and Liara. Not quite love, but definitely something stronger than friendship. Shepard let himself smile as well. Even if Ben was uncertain about how well he'd do on missions, the commander was certain he was in good hands.
"By the way," Shepard said, suddenly serious. "I want you all to get ready for when we meet up with Helena Blake."
The others were put off by the change in tone. "Think she might be pulling something on us?" Garrus asked.
"I honestly don't know what to expect but I'd rather be prepared," Shepard explained.
Tali nodded. "Good idea."
"I'll be sure to inform the others," Shepard said. "You three know what to do."
"Got it, Commander," Kaidan said.
"Sure thing, Shepard." Garrus said.
"Understood," Tali said.
…
Once Liara and Ben made their way to his room, Ben sat down on the bed, his eyes focused on his hands, which were resting in his lap. Liara was still getting used to seeing this side of him. Ben had always been confident, insightful, determined, and compassionate so to see him in this hollow-like state was more than concerning. The young man who she had become very fond of smiled at her.
"Thanks for walking with me, Liara," Ben said.
"Of course, Ben," Liara said gently, sitting down beside him.
"I should also thank Garrus, Tali, and Kaidan," Ben let out a dry chuckle. "I'm guessing I'm back at square one with Ashley and Wrex though."
"I cannot say for certain if that's the case," Liara admitted. "The only thing I can recommend is to give them time and hope for the best."
"Sounds fair," Ben said. Just then the door to Ben's room opened, revealing Shepard.
"Hey, Ben," Shepard said, leaning against the doorframe. "Feeling better?"
"A little," Ben responded.
"Just wanted to let you know that I want the team to be prepared for when we go see Blake," Shepard said. "I don't fully trust her and I want us on our toes in case things go south."
"Understood, Commander," Liara said respectfully. Ben on the other hand was silent, still uncertain if he was ready yet. Shepard looked down at his feet, wishing there was more he could do to help his new teammate. Then an idea came to him.
"How about this, Ben," Shepard suggested, "You can come with us on the mission and you don't need to worry about killing anyone. Just cover our backs and make sure nobody tries to get the drop on us. Feel free to take any enemies down if you want, but I'll do what I can to make sure the rest of the team are the ones who off them."
Ben blinked at the commander's words. "You're okay with that, Shepard?"
"Consider this mission a field test to see if it works," Shepard explained. "We all know you might have to make the call sooner or later, but maybe this way we can keep that decision at bay for a while."
Liara smiled, thinking this was actually a good solution to Ben's problem. She looked over him, seeing that Ben was contemplating the suggestion over. While Ben wasn't completely sure if this was a good idea, he knew that he should at least try. He wasn't going to face his problems moping around on the Normandy while everyone was out risking their lives.
"Alright," He said finally. "I'll do it."
Shepard smiled back. "Good man, Ben. I'm going to go and tell Ashley and Wrex to be on guard too. You two get ready however you want. I want everyone to be in top shape when we arrive."
Ben grinned, some of his confidence back. "You got it, Shepard." Shepard chuckled, happy to see Ben have spark back in him. Liara beamed, just as happy.
"That's what I like to hear." Shepard gave them a playful salute. "Carry on." He turned on his heels, leaving Ben and Liara alone in the room.
The moment he left, Liara smiled at Ben. "This is wonderful news, Ben."
"Yeah," Ben replied. "It's a pretty good idea. I hope it will work."
"Ben, you must believe it will work," Liara told him. "And believe in yourself. I do."
Ben's eyes widened at Liara's words and he felt his cheeks get a little warm. Liara looked like she was sporting her own blush the way Asari do.
"Y-yeah," Ben found himself stammering. "Thank you."
Liara nodded. "I better go to my room and start preparing," She said, getting up from the bed. "I will talk to you later, Ben."
"Got it," Ben said. "See you later, Liara."
With that, Liara left Ben's room to go prepare for the next part of the mission.
…
After taking a quick nap, which Ben admitted was rather uncomfortable with his armor on, and getting a quick snack from the mess hall, the teen hero decided to head to the crew bay and read up on some more galactic history. As Ben opened up his Omni-tool, he was unaware that he was about to have company.
"You doing alright, kid?" someone asked. Ben looked up and saw Kaidan standing in front of him. Refraining from letting out a sigh of relief, Ben nodded.
"A little bit, yeah," he replied as Kaidan sat down next to him. Ben knew he owed the lieutenant since he was one of the people who stood up for him when he told them his big secret. After a moment of silence, Kaidan decided to break the ice.
"You know, if you told us about your little secret earlier, we would've helped you with it," Kaidan said as Ben looked at him, "I know you don't like killing, but Ashley and Shepard do have a point. Sooner or later, you may end up finding yourself having to take a life to save another one. But if it makes you feel any better, I was in your shoes a long time ago."
"Really?" Ben asked.
"Yeah. It happened back in Biotic Acclimation and Temperance training," Kaidan answered, "But to me and the other kids in that place, it was called 'Brain Camp.' This all happened after we made First Contact with the Turians. The Alliance set up Conatix to track Element Zero exposures and develop implants for humans. Once we had an embassy on the Citadel, Conatix could bring in 'experts' instead of taking it slow."
"Humans couldn't have learned about biotics on their own?" Ben asked.
"No, they didn't know where to start," Kaidan replied, "Hell, it took them two years to link biotics with eezo. And forget trying to help the kids move stuff; they had enough trouble trying to help them not break their own limbs. Of course, their choice in teachers didn't help much."
"Who were these teachers they hired?" Ben inquired, "Because I'm guessing the only experts on biotics would have to be aliens."
"Dead on, kid," Kaidan said, "Turians, actually. That's why Conatix wanted it kept a secret. They weren't sure what the people back home would think about asking the Turians for help when we just fought a war with them."
"From what I've seen, the Asari would've been a better choice than the Turians," Ben said.
"I agree, but the company didn't go through the Citadel," Kaidan replied, "It would make Earth look weak. So they discreetly hired Turian mercenaries."
"I'm sure Conatix did what they thought was best," Ben said. He had seen companies like this "Conatix" that Kaidan was talking about make immoral choices out of pure intentions, only for it to come back and bite them later on.
"It wasn't the best for us," Kaidan answered, "They brought in an ex-military Turian named Commander Vyrnnus. To introduce himself, he'd say 'I was at the helm of the dreadnought that killed your father.' I told him my dad wasn't even in the war. He'd retired to Vancouver. My family had an inland home that matured to new beachfront. Vyrnnus had it in for me after that. He cut corners, pushed hard. Either you came out a superman or a wreck. A lot of kids snapped, and some even died. I guess the point of it was when you cut corners, it's not always obvious who pays for it." Hearing this made Ben's blood boil. This Vyrnnus pushed innocent teenagers to death in biotics training, and all because Kaidan had the courage to talk back to him. If that didn't count as petty, he didn't know what did.
"So why are you telling me this?" Ben asked after taking a deep breath, "Is there something I can do to help you get over it?"
"I'm 32, Ben," Kaidan replied, "You don't serve as long as I have without coming to terms with yourself. And if there's someone special to you, you help them and prevent them from making mistakes." Ben knew Kaidan was talking about Liara, but he could also sense that the lieutenant was also referring to someone else.
"Did you ever know someone like that?" Ben inquired. Kaidan rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away.
"Yeah, there was a girl I spent a lot of time with back on Jump Zero," the lieutenant answered, "Her name was Rahna. She was Turkish, came from a rich family, smart, charming as hell. And she was beautiful, but not stuck up about it." Ben chuckled softly in response.
"That reminds me of my old girlfriend Julie," Ben said, "She had Japanese parents, was an honor roll student, and she could play a mean game of tennis. Our relationship went strong at first, but then over the years, things started falling apart. Eventually we broke up, though we at least keep contact with each other."
"Sorry to hear that," Kaidan said, "Anyway, things never worked out between us, what with the training and all. Guess no matter what race, planet or universe you come from, some things carry across species well enough. I should've learned that after what happened with Vyrnnus."
"I thought you would've held a grudge against him for everything he did to you," Ben replied.
"Well, before I met Vyrnnus, I knew about as much as any other civilian," Kaidan said back, "Aliens were real, weird, superior and tried to tell us what to do. I mean it's only been 26 years after First Contact. That's not a lot of time to understand them. It was Vyrnnus who made me see how human aliens really are. They're not weird or special, they're jerks and saints just like us. Hell, by the time I got payback, I didn't even want it anymore." Ben raised his eyebrows at that last part.
"Really? You don't strike me as the snapping type," Ben stated, "What happened?"
"He hurt Rahna," Kaidan answered, "Broke her arm. She reached out for a glass of water instead of pulling it bioticly. She just wanted a drink without getting a nosebleed, you know. And like an idiot, I stood up. Didn't know what I was going to do, just knew I had to do something. Then Vyrnnus lost it. Beat the crap out of me, kept shouting how they should've bombed us back to the Stone Age. That's when the knife came up: a military-issue talon, right in my face. That's when I cut loose; full power biotic kick, right in the teeth. Almost as strong as I can manage now, and at 17, that's something."
"You were trying to help a girl you cared about," Ben said, pleased to hear that Vyrnnus got his karma, "Sounds pretty noble."
"Maybe my intentions were noble, but I… I lost control," Kaidan said as he looked at his hands. "I killed him, Ben. Snapped his neck. They probably could've saved him if they got him to an infirmary quick enough, but they didn't. Caused a pretty big stir when he was shipped home. BAaT was shut down, and then Conatix folded a couple years later. It's funny, but I still don't know which of us got the worst of it."
"But was Rahna okay?" Ben asked, hoping that Kaidan at least got some kind of happy ending.
"Rahna? Yeah, she was fine," Kaidan answered, his voice sounding more somber, "We, uh, stopped talking after that."
"What happened?"
"Rahna had a gentle heart," the lieutenant explained, "She loved everyone, but Vyrnnus terrified her. We all protected her from him, and everyone loved her. But after what I did to him, she was scared of me, too. Anyway, this was just supposed to be a pep talk, not me sharing one of my sob stories."
"Actually, I needed that," Ben said, to Kaidan's surprise. "It's nice to know that there's at least someone here that I can talk with aside from Liara." Kaidan grinned in response.
"Actually, Garrus and Tali were on your side, too. They were just as concerned for you as Shepard and Liara were."
"Thanks," Ben said as Kaidan got up. Kaidan looked back and nodded.
"Anytime, kid," he said before leaving. After Kaidan went back to the elevator, Ben looked back at his Omni-tool and decided to do some more research on the galaxy's resident species, starting with the Turians.
…
Several hours and one relay jump later, Shepard called the team down to the shuttle bay to get ready for the final part of their mission. As the team assembled, Shepard took notice of Ben seemingly keeping his distance from everyone else, even with Liara standing by his side. The commander knew that while a majority of the crew was on Ben's side, he was likely still uneasy about being reprimanded by Ashley and Wrex earlier. Once the team climbed inside the Mako and strapped themselves in, Shepard tapped the communicator on the control console.
"Joker, what's our ETA?" Shepard asked.
"ETA to Aramanthine is ten minutes and closing, Commander," Joker responded. After thanking the pilot, Shepard deactivated the communicator. Ten minutes later, the door to the shuttle bay opened, and Shepard drove the Mako off the ship and toward the cold, stony surface of the planet below. After a relatively smooth landing, Shepard stepped on the pedal and drove the Mako forward. After a short drive around some hills and rock formations, the commander saw a building of sorts in the distance and realized that it was Helena Blake's base. Once he parked the Mako, Shepard turned to face his team.
"This is it, everyone," he said, "I don't trust that Helena will live up to her promise, so I want everyone to be ready in case things go south." Everyone nodded in response, and with that Shepard opened the door to the Mako. Once everyone piled out, Shepard led the team into the compound. Inside the building, Shepard opened the door… to reveal a woman who looked somewhere between her late fifties to early sixties, with her grey hair tied into a bun, and a pistol strapped to her hip. Behind her were at least a dozen other mercenaries, all armed and ready to kill on a moment's notice.
I assume this is Helena Blake, Ben mused, She actually looks like Verdona's human form. The woman looked at Shepard with a grin stretching across her face.
"Hello again, Commander Shepard," she greeted happily, "I owe you a debt of gratitude. With my former partners dead, this syndicate is now mine. I could not have done it without you." Ben felt a knot twisting in his stomach upon remembering the other crime bosses they defeated. Fortunately, Shepard spoke up before he got lost in his memories.
"I killed them because they deserved it," Shepard said, "Now I'm placing you under arrest." Helena's only response was to raise an eyebrow.
"Surely you don't think that necessary," she responded, "Under my leadership, this organization will restrict itself to gambling and smuggling illegal technologies. These crimes are hardly worth your time, Commander. If you press the issue, my assistants are very well equipped to deal with you." Liara looked down and saw that Ben was clenching his right fist while holding it behind his back. She knew that he was doing everything he could to try and restrain himself from activating the Omnitrix and using any of his alien forms to intimidate Helena into changing her mind. Garrus and Ashley also took notice. Fortunately, Shepard stopped things from escalating.
"This gang has a reputation for drugs and slaving," Shepard retorted, "It's too late to change that." Helena looked down at the floor, seeming to accept Shepard's logic.
"Perhaps you're right," she said as she looked back up at him, "Perhaps this organization has been so tainted by those two idiots that it cannot be redeemed." Then she looked at Shepard with what Ben could only describe as a determined fire in her eyes.
"If I disband the gang, I walk away freely. I have come too far to be arrested. I would die before going to prison, and I would most certainly kill before going to prison. Now, do we have a deal?" Shepard took a step towards her, causing a couple of her guards to point their guns at him.
"You're free to go, but I never want to see or hear of this gang again. If I do…" Helena raised her hands in assurance.
"You won't," she replied, "I'm not so foolish as to break my word to a SpecTRe. Now if you'll excuse me, my men become nervous in the presence of law enforcement agents. Goodbye, Commander Shepard." With a final nod, Shepard turned and led the team out of the compound and back to the Mako. Once everyone climbed into the vehicle and got strapped in, Shepard radioed the Normandy for a pickup. Ten minutes later, the ship touched down a short distance away, allowing Shepard to drive to Mako into the shuttle bay before the ship flew back into space. After everyone else left the Mako, Shepard stepped onto the elevator with Ben, who in turn was with Liara.
The commander pressed the button, and the elevator began its ascent. As they went up, Shepard noticed that Ben had what seemed to be a relaxed expression on his face. Initially, he thought it was because Liara was with him, and that it gave him some peace of mind that someone who supported him was there. However, he realized that it was due to the fact that no one had to die, and it gave the young hero some relief that no more blood was shed. Ben and Liara stepped off the elevator and sat down in the crew bay, Shepard sitting across from them.
"How are you holding up?" Shepard asked. Ben looked at him as he sat up straight.
"Honestly, I'm feeling a little better," Ben replied, though his mood indicated that something was still off with him, "Though I do admit that Ashley was right about one thing."
"And what would that be?" Liara asked, placing her hand on Ben's for support.
"I guess my morals made me get complacent," Ben replied, "On the next mission, I'll try my best to be more aware. I don't want to risk anyone getting hurt on my behalf." Shepard took in Ben's words and mulled them over, and then he got an idea.
"How about this?" Shepard suggested, "I'll have Ashley and Kaidan give you personal training in Alliance combat and tactics. That way you still don't have to kill anyone, but you also won't make the same mistakes."
"I think that's a good idea," Liara agreed, "Plus, it will help you reconcile with Ashley." Ben looked down at the floor for a moment as he processed Shepard and Liara's suggestion before coming to a decision.
"It's worth a try," he said. Shepard let a ghost of a smile appear on his face as he stood up.
"I'll tell Ash and Kaidan about it. With any luck, they'll agree," he said as he left the room. After Shepard went into the elevator, Liara looked at Ben and smiled.
"I'm glad that you're starting to become used to all this, Ben," the Asari said, "But I know that you won't change who you are in the end. I know it can be difficult adjusting to new things, but that's why it's also important to have friends to help you." Ben smiled as he looked back to Liara.
"Thanks," Ben said before looking down, "Can I have my hand back, please?" Liara looked down and saw that she was still holding Ben's hand. Her eyes widening, Liara quickly withdrew her hand as her face turned a deep shade of purple.
"By the Goddess…" she muttered as she buried her face in her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment. Without saying another word, the Asari archaeologist stood up and quickly walked back to her room. Ben sat there with a confused expression on his face. His confusion, however, wasn't focused on what had just happened, but rather on the feelings he was currently experiencing. He could still feel the warmth from Liara's touch on his hand, and his stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots.
What's going on? Ben thought as he got up from his seat. It's happening again. First I felt that feeling on Therum, and then again on the Citadel. I… Could I be growing feelings for her? Then he shook his head as he walked to the elevator.
No, she's just trying to help. Right? Ben tried to fight his feelings, but deep down, he knew the truth. I guess I'll talk with her about it the next chance we have. As he stepped off the elevator and headed toward his room, his Omni-tool beeped. Opening it, Ben saw that he had a message from Ashley.
Meet Kaidan and me by the lockers at 0700 tomorrow. Don't be late.
~ Ashley
Sighing to himself, Ben walked into his room and removed his armor before crashing onto his bed and falling sound asleep. Whatever the two of them had in store for him, Ben had to make sure he was adequately rested.
…
Liara entered her room and quickly lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying to process what had happened.
Did that really just happen? She asked herself, I couldn't believe I made an absolute fool of myself in front of Ben again. Why do I keep getting myself into these situations? As she turned over and faced the wall, she replayed the event in her mind. She had taken Ben's hand as a gesture of support, but then had completely forgotten that she was still holding it. But then she thought that some part of her was enjoying it so much that it made her forget it in the first place.
"I will try to tell him the next chance we have to talk," she muttered to herself before she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
…
Hello, and Happy New Year, everybody! Sorry about taking so long with this one, but I was frequently battling with writer's block and trying to do other things, like getting my driver's license. Fortunately, Bigby the Big Bad Wolf was a huge help in getting this chapter done, so half the credit goes to him. Anyway, next chapter leads up to Feros, where things really start to pick up.
As always, read, enjoy, and review!