Benezia clenched her fists in the fabric of her skirts, eyes narrowing and breath coming short as she fought the urge to pace impatiently. If Aethyta hadn't been hovering right over her shoulder she might have surrendered to the impulse, but as it was, someone had to be calm.

She watched the tiny figures scurrying back and forth across the docking bay thoughtfully, creating a list of tasks that would doubtless fall to her as soon as they landed. Alliance control would have been warned of their imminent arrival hours ago and there would likely be a representative awaiting them on the docks. She would have to ensure that she was the first one to greet their temporary hosts, Aethyta's temper would be of no great help in convincing them to cooperate.

The circumstances were terrible, but provided the Alliance cooperated to the best of its collective ability, this could yet become a diplomatic opportunity.

A soft shuffling sound drew her from her darkening thoughts; Aethyta was pacing to and fro in the small confines, casting longing glances at the window every time she passed near it. Benezia couldn't quite contain her exasperated snort. Aethyta turned a glare on her that would have sent a lesser matriarch scurrying, Benezia only stiffened her spine and met Aethyta glare for glare.

"Our distance from the docking bay does not decrease proportionally to the number of times you cross this deck."

"Huh?"

"Pacing will not make this ship move any faster."

"I know that, but it doesn't slow it down any either."

She had to concede the point, but Aethyta's pacing still set her teeth on edge.

"You slept well."

Benezia turned back to glare at her again, "As well as could be expected in these circumstances. Yes."

"You still look a little tired. Why don't you hurry to our quarters when we dock; I can deal with the locals."

Benezia almost smiled, Aethyta's motives were transparent. It didn't require several centuries of acquaintanceship and intimacy to see she desperately wanted to take out her grievances on all and sundry.

"That won't be necessary. I think it best that I be the one to speak with out allies. I have a great deal more experience brokering treaties and fostering peace than do you."

"We tried the diplomatic tack once, remember? That's why we're stuck here now; the last 'representative' we sent has been abducted. We're here to get her back because the Alliance is apparently controlled largely by foolish children incapable of-"

"It is that sort of talk that will swiftly diminish any desire they may have to cooperate. We need their goodwill now more than ever. We can air our grievances at a later date."

Aethyta shook her head, "They're going to cooperate whether we greet them with smiles or curses. They fucked up. That's all there is to it."

"I will not allow you to jeopardize the object of this mission."

Aethyta blinked, "Hell, Nezzie. She's my kid too; I'm not gonna blow any chance we have of recovering her, but if we don't establish some sort of control they're going to use the home turf advantage to walk all over us regardless of their orders. Besides, Tevos put me in charge."

"You sound like a hot-headed maiden, all too ready to assert what authority has been given you. The humans have an old saying, something to the effect of honey drawing more bees than vinegar. It would be best if we could secure their loyalty peaceably."

Aethyta sighed deeply, "If you honestly think it will make any kind of difference then go ahead and try."

"With your leave, I will." It was impossible to miss the scathing undertone of sarcasm.

Aethyta rolled her eyes, Benezia was every bit as willful as she; if anyone dared to say as much she would doubtless protest that she only had the good of the many in mind, that she was always willing to compromise. In the end she almost always got her way; then again, her way took a lot longer than a few sharp words and the threat of violence. Still, if Nezzie believed that her passive-aggressive methods would be more effective here then it would be best to accede to her demands. She had far more experience dealing with humans, that much was true.

The deck shuddered beneath her feet as they finally docked and she held out an arm to Nezzie half-jokingly; she started with surprise when Benezia took it.

Good to know that Nezzie could still surprise her every now and again; she'd have to bear that in mind while working with Shiala.

They started off toward the airlock together, neither one glancing at their companion or giving any sign that they were aware of the other's existence. A pretty trick considering their proximity; Aethyta could not help but take some small measure of comfort in the contact and she thought the strain on Nezzie's features might have lessened somewhat when she had made the gesture.

Even with the history between them it seemed they would still make a well-balanced team. Benezia would work to keep her bull-headed tendencies in check, and she could show her former lover the value of carefully applied force versus subterfuge when an opportunity presented itself. These Alliance children could take a lesson or two from their example provided they had the brains to see it. From what she knew of the human ambassador though, one "Uriah" she thought, she took leave to doubt it. Any political body that would willingly place his like in a position of power was clearly defective.

Benezia pinched her arm under cover of adjusting her grip, "The man ahead of us is ambassador Udina-"

"Uriah, isn't it?"

"Udina." Aethyta was disappointed that her voice didn't so much as rise with frustration at the correction. "That he has come to greet us personally means that no significant progress has been made. He will try to appease us and mouth assurances of his support. Do not be distracted, and do not be provoked into an indiscretion."

"Indiscretion?"

"Don't make a scene, Aethyta." Hearing her name on Nezzie's lips still gave her a thrill, but she pushed that aside to focus on the present.

"When you say 'no significant progress'…"

"They do not have so much as a name, likely not even a description of her abductors."

"I see."

Aethyta tried to disentangle her arm, but Benezia held on, forcing her to walk slowly, stewing in her own thoughts. They dared send some hyped up lackey to greet her unit at the docks when they had no news of her child? Unacceptable.

"Matriarch Benezia."

"Ambassador Udina, this is matriarch Aethyta; she has been given charge of this unit in all tactical matters."

The hell? They had met before? When, how and why? Questions for later, just now she wanted to hear how much progress they hadn't made in this investigation.

"In all matters." Aethyta ground out. "I trust we may depend on support from your end?" Bluntness was key, even if Nezzie was wrinkling her nose as though she had caught a rotten scent. Just the gesture she used to make when she was mortally embarrassed by the conduct of her peers.

"Of course, matriarch. The Alliance is committed to resolving this issue."

"Issue?" An honorary representative of the Asari vanished while on a supposedly friendly planet and he called it an 'issue'? Disaster was closer the mark.

"Will you debrief us quickly, ambassador? We are eager to undertake our duties." Bless Nezzie for never swallowing her tongue even in the most pressing circumstances.

"That might better be left to the head of this investigation." Udina tilted his head to a taller, dark-haired man standing behind him and slightly to the left. "This is lieutenant Kaidan Alenko; he was in charge of Dr. T'soni's security during her stay-"

"So basically this clusterfuck is his fault?"

Aethyta flinched as Benezia dug her nails into her arm, "Stop scratching me, Nezzie. Ambassador, is there any particular reason your 'chief investigator' is out here playing poster boy instead of chasing down a lead? You do have a lead somewhere I assume?"

Udina's mouth opened and closed and opened again. Some sort of half-choking, half-sputtering sound emerged; Aethyta thought maybe they were supposed to be words, but her translator couldn't make any sense of it.

"I am outraged-"

"That makes two of us. Seeing as you've already pulled your ace investigator off the case I suppose we should at least hear what he has to say. You want to speak up, lieutenant?"

She was certain those wicked sharp nails were going to leave permanent indents in her skin; she'd be lucky to get anything done this afternoon with Benezia haranguing her for insulting their hosts. Aethyta thought it was going swimmingly- she hadn't head-butted the smug bastard yet- but Nezzie would never see it her way.

Lieutenant Alenko glanced at the ambassador's red face before clearing his throat and squaring his shoulders. "A couple hours ago myself and my compatriot, gunnery chief Ashley Williams, managed to compile a list of possible informants. She has since been dispatched to make the necessary arrangements; I expect to hear from her at any time."

"How long is this list?"

"Longer than I'd like, shorter than it was."

"Don't get cute-"

"When may we expect to speak with your ally, lieutenant?" Firm yet controlled, as always. That insufferable calm was beginning to get on Aethyta's nerves.

"Maybe another hour yet, ma'am."

"An hour? And you compiled this list "a couple hours ago"? We need to move faster than that, there's no way of knowing what they intend with Dr. T'Soni. Do you even know who took her?"

"I could hazard a guess, but it would be better to reserve judgment until we have every available scrap of information at our disposal."

Benezia flicked a telling glance between the ambassador and the lieutenant, nudging Aethyta gently. Point taken.

"You're dismissed, ambassador." More indignant squawks and another bruising clench from Benezia.

"Ambassador Udina, perhaps you will join us later this evening to go over whatever progress has been made. We would appreciate it if you could use your influence to bar the media from keeping too close an eye on our progress. Discretion is key."

Teeth clenched and expression furious, he straightened his jacket and bowed, not a centimeter lower than was required for correctness, "Of course, matriarch Benezia. In return, you must assure me that your activities will fall within the boundaries of our laws. It is my understanding that commandos can be unforgiving, but in this instance rampant vigilantism will only further strain the relations between our two peoples, as I am sure you know."

His meaning was clear from the glance he slanted in Aethyta's direction; the thought that perhaps she might have deserved that was the only thing keeping her from following through on her impulse to do something shocking that would wipe the smug look from his face permanently. That and Benezia's heavy weight on her arm.

"Of course, ambassador. We have every desire to see these terrorists brought to justice."

And now to pump the ace investigator for every last scrap of intel before she took over this circus and its clowns.

!

!

Shepard jerked awake, roused from sleep by some half-remembered nightmare. It was all just colors and impressions now, but it must have been truly impressive to jolt her from a sound sleep. She jumped again when she saw the face pressed close to hers, felt the body curled into her in some attempt to find a more comfortable position.

It seemed she wasn't the only one that had slept well last night; Dr. T'Soni was still dead to the world, nestled in the dubious comfort of her captor's arms.

Shepard glanced down at the cuffs linking them together and sighed; something was going to have to be done about these restraints. She didn't want Liara spending all her time closeted up here in her personal quarters, but if she was going to go downstairs then she had to be dressed. If she were dressed and in full possession of her biotic abilities… things could get ugly very fast.

She heaved a sigh, stretching her legs out slightly, surprised to find that she first had to disentangle them from the doctor's. She couldn't play nursemaid every day while Liara was here; she had to be sure her presence was felt among her crew. Loyalty was an ephemeral concept here, and could only really be counted on if it were continually reinforced with displays of power; she would have to find someone else to share this duty, reluctant as she was to relinquish it.

Unconsciously, Shepard began to trace patterns on the asari's exposed wrist while she considered her predicament. Her first choice for babysitting duty was naturally Finch, or maybe Kevin, but Liara was skittish and no amount of reassurances would convince her the men weren't a danger. A woman, then. It would have to be. Someone with biotic abilities, just in case their captive got a little too clever and found a way to jimmy her restraints.

She traced one rough fingertip around a darker freckle while she ran through an admittedly short list in her head. Cat was out of the question; Liara might not credit it, but she was even more of a danger than any of the men when her temper took over, which was entirely too often of late.

She tried valiantly to find an alternative, but ultimately she kept circling back to the same name again and again. Mara. Mara could do it. Smart, beautiful and entirely too flirtatious Mara. Shepard could admit in the privacy of her own thoughts that she had considered dabbling there a few times herself, prevented only by that old bit of folk wisdom about not fowling one's own nest. Taking crew to her bed was a violation of her code of conduct, but there might have been a time or two she'd come close to reconsidering.

If Liara showed Mara that curiously innocent, endearingly bold side of her Shepard had seen briefly at the soiree- and if Mara responded to it in the same way she had- murder would be done.

Shepard drew a breath through her nose, let it out slowly. This possessiveness was both pointless and misdirected; she would be relinquishing Liara to the care of her own kind soon enough. Liara wouldn't initiate any sort of intimacy with her unless it were with the ultimate object of escape; if she tried that tack, Shepard was cruel enough to take her up on it. No point in pretending anything different. If Liara stripped her clothes from that body and smiled at her invitingly she would take her in a second and be damned to consequences- she wasn't some altruistic fairytale hero to deny herself that. She did, however, make a spectacular villain to Liara's terrible impersonation of a damsel in distress.

She thought for a moment Liara's eyes might have peeped open for a bare second, but it must have been a trick of the light; her breathing was still deep and even, muscles still loose beneath her soft skin.

Shepard drew back, moving away until the hand she extended behind her found the night table and the chip she had deposited there. It was the work of a moment to free her hand of the cuff and slip it over Liara's other hand. She might have to find some other way of keeping the scholar under control today; for some reason she was reluctant to parade her around downstairs while she was still clamped in the biotic restraints.

Clothes. She had to do something about clothes too; there was no way on this green earth the others were going to see as much skin as she had yesterday with Liara traipsing about in her sheets. Her own shirts were a little tight, but she was fairly certain there was a tunic somewhere in the back of her wardrobe that would do the trick. She could wake Liara now, see her dressed and still be downstairs in time for breakfast.

When she reached out to shake Liara awake she caught the tell-tale hitch in Liara's breathing that said she might indeed have been awake a few minutes ago. Her eyelids fluttered and closed tightly, nose wrinkling slightly as her muscles tensed.

"If you don't want to wake on your own, I could take a page from Prince Charming's book. True love's first kiss?"

"Charming doesn't suit you, neither does truth." Liara's eyes shot open, regarding her with a mixture of relief and trepidation.

Curious. What exactly did she dread beside the obvious? Her relief was also a surprise, but Shepard chose not to remark on it.

"Damn. I was looking forward to it." Shepard offered her most dashing smile, and felt a small surge of satisfaction at the answering blush on Liara's cheeks. She was so quick to blush or become flustered, Shepard had thought that in a centuries long lifespan that ability would be lost; in any case, it would make an interesting game to see how many times she could get the maiden to blush each day.

"I am not familiar with 'Prince Charming' either. A Human cultural tradition I would assume? Some transcendent personification in your mythologies? I don't suppose you could procure the material?"

"Not more than a minute awake and you're already bombarding me with questions. You forgot the most important one."

"What's that?"

"What's for Breakfast!?" Shepard yelled at the top of her lungs and Liara flinched back with a startled cry, glaring balefully at Shepard from the other side of the bed.

"I don't think they heard me." Shepard muttered, drawing breath to try again.

Liara's hands shot out to cover her mouth, eyes sparking prettily. "You could ask once you're downstairs."

Unable to resist the temptation, Shepard nipped the soft flesh of her palm. Liara started and pulled away quickly. "We. Once we're downstairs. I'll find you something to wear and you can accompany me."

"Downstairs?" Her voice was small and uncertain and Shepard felt the smallest prick of pity, not that Liara would appreciate it.

"Downstairs. It's time for you to meet the crew." Shepard winked, "This is your chance to get a feel for your enemy; don't waste it."

Another blush, a startled glance. Two points and they hadn't even started the day yet.

!

!

Liara tucked her knees beneath her chin, wrapping the sheets around her protectively while Shepard rummaged through the wardrobe on the other side of the bed. She hadn't decided whether she was more nervous or relieved that she would soon be venturing downstairs again. To be sure, Shepard wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of looking after her last night if she had intended to toss her to the gang today, but in a battle between logic and fear it was fear that won out all too often.

When she had awoken to the caress of fingertips on her skin this morning she had at first suspected the worst, but as time went on and the teasing touch advanced no farther than her wrist she had begun to calm down. It had been a struggle to keep her breathing even when Shepard had begun tracing aimless patterns in her skin, her fingers ghosting over the backs of Liara's bare hands with a barely-there touch.

She was reluctant to admit it, but once she had realized it was only a thoughtless action on Shepard's part she had begun to take pleasure in the little touches. It was soothing to feel bare skin against her own, that coupled with the warmth of Shepard's nearness and the relative comfort of the bed had combined to lull her into a comfortable doze. Until Shepard had made that comment about kisses. That had been a sure way to wake her swiftly; Shepard's tone said clearly she knew her captive was awake and she was amused at her mummery.

That traitorous corner of her mind, the visceral part that cared nothing for her circumstances, wished that Shepard had simply taken the kiss. She was curious to know what it would be like; goddess knew she had dallied a little in her days as a student, but a couple clumsy kisses and awkward touches would not compare to Shepard. There was something in the woman's maddening cockiness that attracted her despite herself. It didn't help that she had spent a few sleepless minutes last night taking in the muscled lines of Shepard's body. Physically speaking, seduction would be no hardship if that was the path she had to take…

Liara nipped that thought in the bud; there was really no use making any sort of plans until she had a better understanding of her captors and surroundings. Shepard had promised her a walk today- she could get a feel for the external perimeter. And though Shepard was clearly expecting it, breakfast would be a good time to assess the condition of the crew.

And clothes. She had never suspected they could be so important to her, but at this point she would willingly take any one of the scraps her mother had provided for her stay. She hoped that Shepard would have something more substantial though, she didn't relish the idea of greeting criminals in flimsy evening wear.

When Shepard tossed an opaque tan tunic and a pair of white pants at her, she thought she would cry with relief. She glanced about hopefully for her gloves, but they seemed to have disappeared along with her dress, and she wasn't about to lower herself to asking.

"You'll need to release the restraints if I am going to dress."

Shepard nodded, stepping forward with a flourish; that had been suspiciously easy.

"Are you going to leave the room?"

"No." Shepard sounded positively cheery, and no reason she shouldn't. She wasn't the one continuously forced to disrobe in front of a hostile stranger.

As soon as the cuffs fell from her hands Liara slipped the tunic over her head, silently bemoaning her lack of underwear. Perhaps tomorrow she would reconsider and see about asking Shepard for a little more consideration, but for now she was happy to have something more than a sheet between her and the others.

When she had at last pulled the tunic over her head and smoothed the wrinkles from the fabric she was surprised to find Shepard already proffering the trousers, no sign of a mocking smile or appreciative leer.

Ah. There it was, Shepard's eyes flew to her legs as she pulled the pants up and over her hips, blushing again when she found them a little too tight. Thankfully, the tunic should cover her hips enough that it wouldn't matter.

Liara cleared her throat and Shepard's gaze snapped back to her face, "Will you cuff me for breakfast?"

Shepard snorted, her lips quirking into a half-smile. Odd; she hadn't noticed the perpendicular scar that ran along the edge of her lips, pulling her mouth just a little wider as she smiled.

Liara scowled darkly, "I presume from your silence I may go free?"

"If not exactly free, then not chained." Shepard swung the cuffs up, sobering quickly. "If I catch your eyes straying toward the door one too many times or if you so much as glare at my crew they go right back on. Be on your best behavior and you can go without until breakfast is through."

"What happens then?" Liara clenched and unclenched her hands, still feeling the phantom weight of the cuffs.

"Then we go for a walk."