This chapter picks up directly where the last ended; it might be a good idea to re-read the last few sentences of chap. 12 or so.
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It took Aethyta a long moment to respond; Benezia could feel the nervous tingles racing just beneath her skin. This was a familiar scene; Aethyta had always enjoyed undoing her buttons one by one, whispering obscene suggestions in her ear intermingled with jesting comments on her "coming undone".
She had missed that easy intimacy these long years, the sure knowledge that she had found in Aethyta an equal partner and worthy confidant. Aethyta's hands on her shoulders came as something of a shock. "Of course. Glad to help."
Benezia steeled herself against that husky voice. She hadn't been thinking clearly when she had responded to Aethyta's unspoken challenge that much was obvious. Aethyta had always had a talent for goading her into reckless action. And to throw that particular taunt in her face, to imply that she was a coward… that was grossly unjust. It had stung more than it should; Benezia had never expected to hear that from her. Not after all they had dared together what seemed a lifetime ago.
Aethyta hadn't meant it, Benezia knew, would never have said it were she sober and thinking straight. That took much of the edge from the blow, but…
There was something about that brash self-confidence of hers that just begged to be shaken.
She was of no mind to bicker tonight or to dredge up painful memories; already the anger that had led to this regrettable decision was beginning to dissipate under the weight of a false familiarity. The wine had dulled their wits, and their task occupied the forefront of both their thoughts; there could be no harm in pretending for a while that nothing had changed. Whatever she said or did, Aethyta would attribute to the wine and lateness of the hour.
Benezia knew she was not at her best and that this wasn't strictly the best decision she had ever made, but tonight she craved the closeness again. Just for now, and for once the consequences be damned.
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Aethyta's fingers were unnaturally clumsy on the small buttons. She had once prided herself on her ability to have Benezia stripped of these damnable gowns in less than a minute when it suited her. It definitely suited her now. If she lingered over this task she was going to start remembering quiet evenings after hectic days, the taste of bitter wine on her lips and Nezzie's warm weight in her arms, whispered secrets spoken in darkness and…
She was starting to wax positively lyrical, dammit. Not the time.
Aethyta gasped with relief as the second button finally slid free of its mooring; only about a dozen or so left to go, it really shouldn't be too hard. What had possessed her to issue a challenge like that tonight? Challenge it had been, she could admit that to herself; Benezia had never liked to be called a coward. Aethyta had teased her ruthlessly for being too soft, or too merciful; Benezia had taken the gentle jesting with a quirk of her lips and a glint in her eye that promised a satisfying revenge later.
Satisfying for both of them, Aethyta thought with a smirk, banishing the memories to the dark corner of her mind from whence they had come.
The fools that named her a coward though, they courted her genuine wrath. Aethyta silently damned Nezzie's mother to the deepest, darkest corner of whatever afterlife she currently occupied. That particular wound ran too deep for even their long lifetime to heal, and Aethyta fervently hoped the bitch was suffering for it.
Aethyta's hands steadied and she quickly undid the rest of the buttons, keeping her touch as impersonal as possible.
"I'm sorry." She murmured.
Slowly the tension seeped from beneath her palms before Benezia stepped away from her and out of the gown.
Aethyta blinked; neither one of them were precisely blushing virgins, but Benezia's casual attitude toward nudity had always shocked her just a little bit, given her propriety in nearly everything else.
Benezia glided toward the bed, turning to speak over her shoulder. "Your comment had its intended effect. That is hardly something to apologize for."
Aethyta watched her carefully, noting the graceful movements and even tone; Benezia was the very image of poise, sliding beneath the covers and stretching gently. Nezzie had always had a gift for deception; she could smile and laugh brightly even whilst she seethed inside, maintain a confident smile and an air of superiority even when she was backed into a corner- it was her gift. Coaxing an honest response from her had ever been Aethyta's gift though, whether that was fury or forgiveness.
She was fairly certain Benezia had forgiven her the thoughtless jab nearly the moment it had escaped her lips; she would step carefully until she was certain though.
Aethyta turned away to undo her own dress, thankfully she had opted for practicality over fashion tonight, as she did most nights. It would have been humiliating to have to request Nezzie's help now. The silence grated on her, nothing but the sound of their breathing and the shift of fabric.
"So. You spoke with councilor Tevos."
"I did."
Wonderful, Nezzie was in a talkative mood. There were ways around that.
"And she told you to get bent?"
"Not in so many words." Aethyta thought she could hear an edge of amusement there. She grinned widely, encouraged at her swift progress, determined to recapture that playful banter they had indulged in earlier.
"And then you threatened Shiala with what? Permanent shore leave if she reported to me?"
"I suggested that it was not in her best interest to do so."
"Poor kid. There were times your 'suggestions' terrified even me."
"And yet I do not recall you ever admitting as much."
"Never had to. You always knew it." Aethyta strode to the bed with considerably less grace than her partner. Nezzie had a way of moving that made it seem as though her feet would never touch anything so common as the floor; Aethyta's feet most certainly connected with it- she found herself blushing slightly and wasn't sure how much was the wine and how much was her own damnable self-awareness.
Her thoughts took a darker turn as she curled into the sheets, leaving Nezzie far more space than she needed. Damn Benezia for moving closer, and damn her for not having the discipline to pull away once more; Aethyta sighed softly, giving into the temptation to relax into another warm body. Goddess knew they both needed comfort wherever they could find it tonight.
"They seemed certain they would have a face by tomorrow."
"I am certain they will. Tonight, perhaps, if we are fortunate. Even so, it will take time to decide on a strategy for any rescue operation."
"Of course. We should rest." Aethyta was quite proud of herself. For once she would be the sensible one and put an end to this entente before it went too far.
"I suppose we should."
Aethyta's breath shuddered out of her when Nezzie moved closer, murmuring a command to dim the lights and curling into her side with one leg tucked familiarly over her own.
She jumped when Nezzie leaned up to catch her lips in a kiss. There was nothing sexual in the gesture, not tempting or suggestive, it was meant as nothing more than comfort and she blamed the wine for the prick of tears in her eyes because she was definitely not the sort of milksop to cry for the sake of a well-meaning kiss.
Benezia rested her head in the crook of Aethyta's shoulder; gradually her breathing slowed and evened out. It felt like hours but could not have been more than mere moments before Aethyta was restless once more. Nezzie's breathing was far too controlled and she hadn't moved an inch since she had "drifted off'; it seemed they were both determined to feign sleep for the sake of the other.
Aethyta cast about for something to say, anything to occupy their time and perhaps put them to rest. Ultimately her mind continued to circle back to the same topic, and after a minute more she finally surrendered to the inevitable.
"Was Liara afraid of the dark?"
Aethyta cringed; a wealth of questions and that was the first to come to mind? The silence stretched on; she began to think that Benezia might well have drifted off before her voice finally broke the stifling silence.
"No." Benezia's voice was mellow, more subdued. "There was very little she permitted herself to be afraid of."
"Permitted?"
"I told her once that it was wise to be aware of her weaknesses in order to overcome them. She took the words to heart."
Half-formed images of Liara attempting all manner of foolishness in the name of courage raced through her mind's eye. That wasn't precisely what she had meant when she had asked Benezia not to clip the kid's wings. Goddess willing Liara had taken more after her mother, what information she received on her tended to indicate that was so, but just to be sure…
"No kidding? So she, what, routinely hunts down thresher maws and boards pirate vessels?"
Nezzie pinched her arm and Aethyta started, "Violence, Nezzie? I thought only fools and hotheads resorted to brute force."
"There is something to be said for an occasional bout of impulsiveness, as you yourself have demonstrated on several occasions." There was no mistaking the fond exasperation in her tone; it warmed her heart to hear it.
Benezia leaned further into her, draping an arm casually across her breasts. Aethyta felt her breath catch, wasn't sure if this was another calculated move on Nezzie's part or the same need for closeness she herself was experiencing. Best just to go along with it, see where it led and not concern herself with correctness; that had always been Nezzie's concern.
"There were times she would sneak a vid I had expressly forbidden- something bloody usually- she wondered how I always knew." Aethyta could hear an unwilling smile in her voice now.
"How?" She whispered, genuinely curious.
"She would creep in to see me, be certain I was still asleep while she wrought her mischief. And when she had finished she would curl under my covers and mutter children's prayers until she fell asleep. It was not difficult to guess what she had been up to."
Aethyta chuckled, relaxing now into a familiar pattern. They had spent any number of nights like this, making mock of their self-important opponents, exchanging amusing anecdotes and treasured memories. For a moment it was like nothing had changed.
"Your most embarrassing memory?" Aethyta knew she was pushing it, but they were alone, it was late, and it was far simpler to address these questions to the darkness.
Benezia sighed deeply and Aethyta smiled wider; she would have to ask the sommelier what vintage they had been drinking tonight. She would keep it on hand forever if this was one of its effects.
"I was meeting with another matriarch; there were matters of some sensitivity to discuss." Aethyta felt a curious pang, was a time Nezzie would have told her plainly what those 'sensitive matters' had been. Small steps.
"We were interrupted by a frenzied pounding on the door; when I opened it, half expecting to find our daughter bleeding to death on the threshold, Liara held up a damaged comm, announced she had found a toy and asked if she might keep it. I am not certain which one of us was more embarrassed when I was called out for the offense."
"I told you one of these days you would be caught at your own game. There are smaller bugs than entire comm units now, Nezzie."
"She was looking for any transmitting devices. My comm escaped her notice precisely because it was so visible; her device did not even register it as a potential breach."
"Brazen."
"Necessary."
"I take it you found a way around the difficulty?"
"Naturally." There was an entire epic behind that one word, Aethyta knew. She also knew she would not hear it tonight.
Benezia caught her breath, seeming to recognize now just how far she had permitted their intimacy to extend. Aethyta could practically feel her drawing in on herself once more and in desperation, draped an arm over Nezzie's form to gather her closer. Benezia stiffened, and for a moment Aethyta feared she might pull away.
"If all proceeds as intended we may yet welcome Liara home sometime tomorrow night." Her voice was considerably cooler, and Aethyta knew that marked the end of their conversation, but she was grateful nonetheless that Benezia never once pulled away while they lay awake and worrying that night.
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Liara prodded the old lock that guarded Shepard's wardrobe; she was quite certain it was nothing she couldn't crush with her biotics, but Shepard had said they would be leaving soon, that meant provisioning- and that meant finally opening the blasted door.
Patience, she reminded herself; everything in its time and no use fretting about it until then.
She had never been a particularly patient creature; it was a trait learned only somewhat after long decades of practice.
The sound of a lock's tumblers shifting brought her back to herself; Shepard hadn't been gone for more than ten minutes, there was no reason for her to be back so soon. A flare of power rippled along her skin, gathered in the palms of her hands; she would not be taken unawares this time.
"Liara, it's us."
Ah. So they were on a first name basis now. Not entirely fair given that she didn't know Shepard's first name; did she even have one? Liara shook her head, it wouldn't make any sense if she had a family name and nothing to call uniquely her own. Come to it, how did a street child know her family name and why would everyone choose to address her by it? Questions for another day.
"Us?" Liara queried instead, biotics fading slowly.
Shepard pushed the door open carefully, her own hands glowing softly, "Kevin." She slid into the room, scanning it quickly and nodding to Kev reassuringly as he stepped into the room.
"I thought you were conducting your business elsewhere." Liara was already making for the bed, settling on the side of it primly.
"Our business. It's tense down there; I don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone even here." Shepard kicked the door shut, fingers flying over the locks faster than Liara could follow. "Now, where's Finch?"
Shepard pushed herself onto the edge of the desk and absently motioned for Kev to take the chair, eyes lingering on the wardrobe before flashing back to Liara. She couldn't possibly know for certain, Liara assured herself.
"Finch isn't coming. He was the first Mara approached."
"The first? Damn. This worked a little too well. He won't do it-"
"He might." A weight seemed to settle on Kev's shoulders such that he visibly faltered beneath it. "I don't have any names; we haven't spoken-"
"Course not. This is the first overt move; give him a few hours to collect as much info as he can."
"Shepard, he's a little too convincing. I think he and Mara have been discussing this for a while now."
Shepard shook her head briskly, "Finch has been with us almost from the beginning." Her lips twisted bitterly, "And Mara has constantly been trying to turn his support-"
Liara knew she was missing at least half the conversation; the choice now was whether to hide her ignorance or demand an explanation. She glanced at Kev, took in his grim expression and Shepard's earnestness. Much as she hated to admit it, she needed to know all of this; what she did not know could well kill her. "Our business", Shepard had said; she had to be an equal.
"Why should you trust a man who is conspiring with your enemy? If Mara is creating dissension among your ranks, why have you not made a further example of her and any of her sympathizers? Wh-"
Kev cut in neatly, "All good questions. Get Shepard started and she won't shut up though. This is her brainchild." His smile was genuine, if small. Shepard glared at him, but there was no real heat in her expression; she turned back to Liara slowly.
"Taking the last to be first, if I knew who was inclined to take Mara's part I'd deal with them. Simple answer is, I can't be sure. This is the chance to be sure we catch all of them. Mara's been making power plays since I first took over this circus, but she's getting serious now. I need to shut her down; that's where Finch comes in. They used to be lovers, him and Mara; if anyone can get her thoughts out of her, it's him."
"If they were lovers once how can you be certain you have his loyalty now?" Liara arched a brow in disbelief.
"You're right; I meant fuck-friends. Finch goes wherever his dick leads, for a while that was Mara- can't really blame him. In the end, Finch always ends up where he thinks the greater power lies; that is why he backed Kev and me as soon as he was certain we had a greater than average shot at going higher. We can count on his loyalty because at the moment, power rests precariously with me."
"That can change." Liara snapped.
"Didn't I just say it was precarious? If Finch thinks this is a lost cause he'll head straight for Mara's camp and I'll know we need a better plan of action; he has a gift for predicting when the tide will turn- comes of spending his whole life as an ass-kissing toady. For now, Finch thinks I'm directing all this; basic idea is this: Mara talks Finch over, acquaints him with his new comrades in arms, he reports any unexpected names to Kev under guise of trying to convert him and I am made aware of any threats to my person."
"I see. And all the while, I'm still here. I thought we were leaving; you were concerned I might be caught up in your petty games?"
Shepard nodded, "We are leaving. This is getting dicey and I can't look out for the both of us. You and I clear the area, Kev takes over while I get you home; by the time I return, Mara will be prepared to stage her coup and Kev will be sure my people are in all the right places. Then she dies, and every last one of her supporters with her."
"Too complex. You cannot be sure that your supporters outnumber hers, and that leaves Kevin in a tenuous position. Should she seize control of your defense grid, you will be as good as dead. Leaving for any amount of time will give her an edge."
"You're not staying, and you're not going alone. This has been in the works for some time now; we'll hammer out any flaws when we implement it."
Kev looked about as doubtful as Liara felt, but Shepard's expression was all confident determination. It was too haphazard, too complex, and hinged too much on a singular lynch-pin that admittedly had no loyalty other than himself.
More importantly, Shepard would not have the opportunity to return. Liara had every intention of seeing that she faced justice. Assuming they could get out of this entanglement first.
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A heavy silence had fallen over their little gathering following her pronouncement; Shepard could see they both equally doubted her method, and there was sense in that. It would work out though, with or without Finch's aid. Kev was the main concern in fact; he was no kind of leader and leaving him would give Mara an edge, but her presence had to be felt even when she was absent and Kev's loyalty was above question.
If she had a little more time she could have scrapped this idea and made another that would have taken the new developments into account, as it was, she would just have to trust to the others' ingenuity. It didn't sit well with her.
Equally obvious was that Liara intended to hold her back until the Alliance could sink their claws in her. She would have to keep a careful watch on that. Fortunately, their databases wouldn't have much on her recent activities. If she was careful she could escape; of course, if Mara succeeded- and that wasn't an outcome she relished contemplating- it might be better not to. Only that would leave Kevin in the lurch, and then she was right back at the beginning.
Damn it. She'd bitten off far more than she could comfortably chew this time.
Shepard glanced over to Liara who pointedly looked away. She'd been doing that all evening and it didn't take a genius to figure out she was already deciding what she would do with her soon to be official freedom. It wasn't much of a leap to suppose that seeing her dragged before a court headed that list.
Shepard could have told her that would take months.
Liara shifted uneasily, looking everywhere except at her. That must be about her tampering with the locks on the wardrobe; not that she blamed Liara, that would have been her first thought too.
Kev cleared his throat, "I need to get back downstairs and touch bases with those we're certain of."
"I'll come with you. Might do some good to be seen."
"No. Stay here and get ready to leave. This will come to a head in a few hours; it's getting dark and Mara's firing up their courage. When Finch starts working with her, they're going to take it as a sign of weakness on your part. I'll make sure we're ready for it."
Fuck. She had counted on another day. At least their provisions were laid out and ready to go. All that was left now was to arm herself and get out. Easier said than done; if she was seen leaving in company with Dr. T'Soni it would only further weaken her influence, leaving at all was going to have a devastating impact on morale. This whole situation was a tangled mess, and Shepard knew she was going to have to pay the piper soon- she just hadn't guessed it would be quite this soon.
Still, she couldn't trust Liara's safety to anyone else; Kev was just too old and if Finch played the turncoat and confided what little he knew to Mara then she was in far worse straits than she had originally estimated. The asari's safety had to come first and she was just going to have to atone for the betrayal later.
"Fine. We'll be out of here in a little under three hours. I have no intention of traveling in daylight. Are our… defense systems on-line?"
"Not yet. I'll activate once you're clear. We don't need trouble on two fronts."
Shepard leaned back, flicking an eye toward Liara. Still awake, still sharp.
"There's a thought. The other front, I mean."
She nearly laughed at the matching expressions on Liara and Kev's faces, brows lifted and lips pursed. She'd be the first to admit her ideas hadn't exactly played out right these past few weeks, but to have both of them silently commenting on it should have been a little daunting.
"We could move out; all of us. Leave the Alliance to clear out Mara's mess. You said we're teetering on the edge of the abyss to begin with. Pass a message along to get out and disappear for a while. The Alliance can sweep in, confiscate what tech we have, lock the area down and arrest everyone left behind. They'll turn in our names, but it shouldn't take much to stay buried in a district this size. We'll keep it quiet for a while, rebuild."
"Leave it for them? Everything? Shepard, you're digging us deeper and deeper." Kev shook his head, "Don't change tactics now. At least we have a trajectory for this one."
Liara was glaring at her darkly, "You would leave your comrades to be taken in your place as a result of your planning and actions?"
Shepard stiffened indignantly at the sharp tone. "Have I ever done anything to make you think I wouldn't? In case you didn't hear me the first time, I said Mara and her people will kill us if they take charge. Not very sporting. Why should I play fair? To be the better man, so to speak? Doesn't fly."
Liara's face contorted as though she had caught scent of something particularly vile and Shepard scowled back at her; part of her wanted to convince the asari that her words made sense. A pointless search for validation, this was not a time for uncertainty. Liara would disagree with any thoughts she put forth on principle. It made no sense to waste breath trying to talk her around.
"Kev, send those you're certain of to activate the systems- get them out of the area. Make sure the rest are gone before you leave; I don't want anyone unjustly taking flak for this."
"Unjustly." Liara snorted quietly, Shepard ignored her.
"Keep it quiet for a while; don't gather too many together. I'll find a way to get in touch and hopefully the Alliance Security forces will deal with our problem when they decide to make an appearance."
It was a risk, revealing this much before Liara, but general enough that Shepard thought she could make it work. Hoped, at least. Liara still looked mortally offended, Kev still doubtful, but Shepard knew better than to trust anyone more than herself these days.
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Ashley leaned back in her chair, popping her back tiredly and rubbing her palms over her eyes vigorously. No good; the screen was still a blur, and she was still exhausted. It might well be time to invest in glasses, all this time in front of computers wasn't doing much for her vision or her temper. And where the hell was Kaidan?
He stepped through the door as though her uncomplimentary thoughts had summoned him, still looking annoyingly chipper and awake. Surely Udina would pin a medal on her chest himself if she brained the lieutenant before he had a chance to infect the rest of their team with his infuriating good humor.
All such notions were quickly forgotten when she noticed exactly what he was carrying in either hand.
"Bless you and your children and your children's children. Is that coffee?"
Did she sound pathetic? Absolutely. Did she care? Not a whit.
Kaidan hummed an affirmative, slipping a mug onto the table and pulling up a chair beside her to settle in.
Eagerly Ashley reached for her mug, drinking before she registered the temperature. Cold, and obviously burnt; the dregs of the pot most likely.
Ambrosia; the sweet nectar of the gods as far as she was concerned; anything at all so long as it kept her eyes open another hour.
Kaidan choked on the liquid, eyeing her askance. "Could've warned me."
Ashley shrugged, "Could've brewed a new pot."
"You ever tried my cooking? I know you have, I brought supper once. Keeping that incident in mind, you want me to try making coffee?"
"Since you suck so much at cooking, you want to keep an eye on the monitor while I take a pace break?"
"I didn't come here for the pleasure of your company."
Ashley pulled a face more fitting a child than a woman of her age and pushed away from the desk. No sooner had she done so then a sharp ping sounded, screen flashing a warning message.
"The universe hates me. I know it. Never have I seen it more effectively demonstrated than just now."
"Sit. There are a couple names for each of us and I want to know everything about them by morning."
Ashley squinted at the screen until the letters finally resolved themselves. "I'll take the chick's name."
"The Chick? That's where we're going with this?" Kaidan held up his hands defensively as Ashley turned her sharp gaze on him.
"You take the chick. For the record, I think they're going to send you back for sensitivity training if you don't start thinking before you speak."
"You going to report me? The sooner you stop jacking around the sooner we can start work. I'd like to have some news for the asari by the time they rise for breakfast, but maybe that's just me."
Kaidan grimaced, "Point taken. If we work fast enough maybe we'll even catch a few winks before they pound down the door."
"Don't count on it."
"I never do."
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This took far longer than it should, it's just been one of those months. July is looking a little better, though!
Good news is, plot-wise this is roughly a chapter away from the halfway point. Chapter-length wise I make no promises.
Also, Happy (Early-ish) Canada Day!