Chapter 146 - News From Thessia
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Liara flinches slightly from the harsh voice of her father as Matriarch Aethyta regards her over the QEC connection. "Will you stop hiding behind Shepard's back and step forward so that your own father can take a good look at you!" she urges, but Liara remains standing with her arms wrapped around Morgan's waist from behind, softly supporting her chin on her bondmate's shoulder.
"Ah, don't push her, Matriarch, she's agonizing over not having contacted you earlier and it has made her feel guilty and worried," Morgan explains on Liara's behalf, offering the previously studied lines. "It is very good to see you, though, let me add."
"Yeah, and it's good to see you got through the mess in one piece, babe," Aethyta nods at Shepard. "If you had kicked the bucket, it would have probably made Liara even more useless than she looks right now. At least now you can knock some sense into her head."
"I love you too, dad," Liara says, smiling softly.
"Bah. Yeah, yeah... you know me too well already," Aethyta grins at her daughter. "How is life on Earth working out for you two? Tevos isn't painting a very pretty picture during our briefings. It seems that while the humans managed to colonize Terminus, spreading through it like a plague, they are crap at cleaning up their own backyard."
"Tevos isn't really exaggerating, I don't think we will stay planetside for much longer, before moving back to the Citadel. Or the Destiny Ascension... Lidanya invited us to stay there if we wished," Shepard says.
"Oh, did she? I suggest you take her up on that offer," Aethyta nods. "That ship is pretty damn impressive. Even if the company could be better. Last I spoke with Liddy, all this war business and food shortages had made her stiffer than a turian. She needs to get laid so badly."
"Well, we are not going to help cure that problem of hers," Morgan chuckles.
"Then I'll do it myself, once they return back to the asari space," Aethyta grins broadly. "Wouldn't be the first time I help her relax a bit..."
"Too much information, dad!" Liara exclaims, sighing theatrically.
"Still a prude, I see," Aethyta rolls her eyes. "But Shepard, I need to know, are you really serious about leaving that pathetic Earth of yours behind and following the asari fleets back to Thessia, as I keep hearing from the rumors?"
"I... yeah, I'm sure that is exactly what I want," Shepard nods, even if deep inside she does wonder a little whether she truly knows what she is signing up for. There probably won't be any other humans or Thessia, or only very few, just me and millions and millions of these blue beauties as Vega would say. But... strangely enough, it does not scare me. I have spent time not only with Liara, but also with Aria, Tevos and the girls, and I find I have developed an almost painful need for their company. And... with mother gone... and David as well... all my most important ties to Earth and humanity... they're no longer there. But I need something to belong to... and I feel that it is with Liara, on Thessia.
"That's why I think you should spend some time on the Destiny Ascension, Shepard, both of you," Aethyta says in a sagely voice. "Being the only human on a ship of ten thousand asari will give you a better perspective on what you can expect when living on Thessia. Or it might make you decide to turn your tail and run... though, of course, if you do that, I will hunt you down and go all crazy commando on your ass."
"Uh, I sincerely doubt that will be necessary," Shepard chuckles. Damn, wish we could tell her that Liara's expecting, but I made that damned promise not to reveal it. That would make her realize that for me getting out is no longer an option, it never really has been, the mere thought of it is physically painful.
"See that it doesn't," Aethyta adds warningly, though not entirely seriously. "It seems that I will be seeing you all soon enough, and we certainly could use all those people stuck in other systems back here and rebuilding. Tevos says that your scientists are getting close to finishing the repairs and begin testing the relay. Hopefully they won't screw everything up even worse!"
"They did amazingly well with the Crucible, and I understand that this is easier to figure out, the work on Crucible has provided the scientists with valuable insight and knowledge," Liara says. "I know that Tevos has sent you all the relevant intel, have you started working on the Parnitha System relay?"
"Yes, but we haven't gotten nowhere near as close as you," Aethyta grumbles. "All our best scientists are stuck in the Sol System, in case you had forgotten. Work on the relay is slow. We are concentrating on rebuilding our communications, supply chains... the fuck do I know about growing crops!"
"Looks like Earth won't be able to grow much in the way of crops for a few years, since all that fighting has caused a nuclear winter. Reapers didn't exactly sit idly here on Earth, all that fighting has thrown so much shit into Earth's stratosphere that we're barely getting any sunlight..." she quickly explains for Aethyta's benefit. "It's dark, miserable and cold down there, and everyone's starving."
"Ah... well, I guess the Reapers weren't on Thessia long enough to cause that kind of effect," Aethyta shrugs, looking a little relieved. "The rebuilding will take years, but still it's not all bad here and at least I don't have to do quite everything myself. And Tevos actually manages to say something useful now and then during our chats... she has suddenly become more tolerable now that she no longer has to dance to the tune of the matriarchs."
"And she certainly keeps far more interesting company these days," Shepard blurts out without thinking.
"Oh? You can't let something like that slip out and then refuse to elaborate!" Aethyta gives Morgan a demanding stare, looking more than a little curious. "Spill it, now."
"Only if you promise to keep this to yourself, dad. We were honor-bound to keep it a secret, which we had managed perfectly fine until my bondmate suddenly lost her last vestiges of discretion," Liara says, giving Morgan a little poke in the ribs.
"A secret? Don't tell me, she's hooked up with Aria again?" Aethyta asks.
"That's correct," Liara nods. "I'm surprised you even know about it, father. I got the sense that they really tried to keep down about the entire thing."
"Well, I wasn't always ignorant and disinterested about the asari internal affairs, you know," the matriarch winks at them.
"Wait, wait, hold your horses for a moment there," Morgan shakes her head, feeling a little stunned. "What do you mean, they got together again?" she asks, looking at Aethyta, then turning towards her bondmate. "And you never mentioned a single word about knowing this!"
"Aria did not give me permission to speak of this," Liara shrugs, the expression in her eyes then becoming full of mirth. "And I think it is important to note that at least someone in our relationship is not a... blabbermouth."
"Ouch, Shepard, she got you there," Aethyta laughs. "Anyway, let me explain, just so you're not feeling out of the loop. Their relationship was the subject of a huge scandal a few centuries ago. Almost ended up in a civil war between two of the most powerful clans at the time... a war that might have very well engulfed the whole of Thessia."
"Aria told me some of it when she visited with me, but not that part," now it is Liara's turn to be surprised. "I never knew it was quite as bad!"
"In the end, Aria's clan decided to accept some territories in compensation for their slighted honor, and agreed to keep their lost daughter away from Tevos," Aethyta explains. "Aria was pissed. I sympathized. She thought her people would fight for her, but they just took the bribe and tried to keep her in line. That was when she said a big 'fuck you' to everyone on Thessia and disappeared, only to show up on Omega a few decades later."
"Wow, they're like asari Romeo and Juliet," Shepard chuckles. "But from what I've seen, they seem to be good for each other."
"I'm guessing Tevos makes Aria a bit less of a loose cannon in turn," Aethyta muses, receiving nods from both Liara and Shepard in return. "And this time, there aren't enough of stupid, narrow-minded elderly matriarchs left on Thessia to raise a storm about their relationship... good riddance to that dead weight. E-democracy, my ass. Some asari have always been more equal than the others... at least the Reapers did not discriminate, in fact it's like they tried to do us a favor when they wiped out a couple of the more annoying clans almost completely, like the T'Siri and T'Anorai."
"What is the situation like?" Liara asks, unable to stop herself from looking worried. "Do our people at least understand the necessity of working together to rebuild?"
"More or less. I have not yet experienced blatant attempts of greed and trying to benefit from the misfortune of others. And at least Tevos had the good sense not to die and leave the councilor's spot vacant, which I understand is the reason why the humans are acting so frantic as if they all had the runs," Aethyta rolls her eyes. "The only thing I would wish for is slightly more competence amongst those left in charge here. I mean... the T'Onora are now led by a young maiden shy of her eighties, and she's actually one of the more pragmatic people I have to deal with! We're still very short on specialists of almost every kind, but more and more ships are coming in every day, bringing our people back from Lusia, Niacal and Sanves."
"That sounds very encouraging, dad," Liara smiles.
"Yeah, well... I'm trying to retain some sense of realism here, you know!" the matriarch grins, then turning serious as her attention shifts towards Morgan. "Listen, Shepard, Tevos told me about the offer she received from the geth. They are willing to come and help us rebuild the planet, while asking for absolutely nothing in return. The question is... can we trust them enough to let these synthetics enter the heart of our civilization? You have had a lot of dealings with them... can't believe I'm asking for a human's opinion, but well, there you go."
"Heh, well, I do feel flattered," Morgan chuckles. "But seriously, I think you would be a fool not to jump on this opportunity. The quarians benefitted tremendously from their aid on Rannoch, and as soon as the salarians and the turians realize how much the geth can help, they will invite them as well, so... I'd make sure you extend your offer first. You won't regret it."
"Hmph," Aethyta grumbles. "Never thought I'd see the day when the geth land on Thessia and we welcome them. But well, I guess that's just one of the many things that this crazy war has changed. Tevos seemed in favor of it as well. Now all that's left is to convince the people back here, but hearing that their own councilor as well as the famous Commander Shepard endorses this alliance, well... it will carry a lot of weight. Oh, and kid," she then adds, looking back at Liara. "I haven't been able to divert a lot of resources into bringing Benezia's old estate into proper shape, but we've started some repairs on it. I think we can manage to bring it into a habitable state by the time you get here."
"Our estate on Armali?" Liara gasps.
"You know perfectly well that she left it to you, kiddo. Don't start with that 'I don't want to feel like I owe my mother anything' crap again. You two will need a place to stay and it is perfectly suited for your needs."
"It is too large and luxurious," Liara mutters quietly. "But if you agree to stay with us, perhaps I will consent."
"Are you sure you want me, my foul tongue and the krogan-like bedside manner sticking around?"
"Absolutely, we won't mind that at all. We've been spending a lot of time with Aria, lately... I think we've grown used to everything," Shepard grins. "Well, except the unsolicited sex advice, I think."
"Yes... uh, and what about Benezia's side of the family, has anyone survived?" Liara asks, desperate for a topic change. "Have they stopped contesting the will? I was almost ready to give up on the estate at one point, but pure spite stopped me."
"I think one of Benezia's half-sisters has survived... the really annoying one. The one with vorcha father," Aethyta explains.
"Well, that explains everything," Shepard laughs. "It's a crazy society where a half-vorcha offspring is accepted more readily than a pureblood..."
"Sadly, that was true," Liara sighs. "And I think you must mean Aunt Niline. I do not remember her well, but from what I do, I recall her being rather hysterical."
"That's the one," the matriarch nods. "They're suddenly really proud of you, kid, telling everyone that they're related to the asari who helped Commander Shepard save the galaxy. Using your name like a bloody banner."
"I will not stand for that, they have no right," Liara snaps angrily. "Dad, I'm going to make a formal announcement that the only one who may speak on my behalf during my absence is my father when representing the N'Ilandi clan."
"That will certainly help a lot, kiddo," Aethyta nods gratefully. "Suddenly everyone on Thessia appears to have been your best friend, when we both know that the truth was rather the opposite. If I'd have anything to shut them up with, that would be appreciated. Anyway... I've talked your ears full, I'm sure you're dying to be rid of me and get back to do whatever it is that two young people who no longer need to stress about saving the galaxy might be doing."
"Oh, now and then we do something else too," Morgan chuckles, earning a playful punch from Liara, as Aethyta grins and parts with them to return to her tiring, but satisfying work to return Thessia to a semblance of order in time for her daughter's return home...
"Did you hear the news from the quarian camp?" says a turian soldier, part of a small group of angry looking marines, crowding behind one of the prefab dwellings in the turian groundside enclave. "They've apparently ran out of the stored supplies, so they're going to cut daily rations based on what their liveship can support. By 10% for their own people, and by 30% for us."
"What? I'm not going to stand for that, we've suffered enough already!" there are angry shouts and complaints amongst the group. "If this is allowed to stand, most of our people will not see Palaven again, they'll starve to death!"
"A disgrace! Even Sparatus and his threats to deny them the Council seat can't achieve anything, they won't budge!" there is more and more angry yelling as the outrage spreads like wildfire.
"We need to take the matters into our own hands! If they don't give us equal share, let's take it from them!" some of the younger hotheads don't have to search long for a solution.
"We can't just storm their enclave and raid it for supplies," some of the others are more hesitant. "Even if our people are starving, most of them are not quite as desperate to attack our so called... allies..."
"Then let's make sure they never become desperate enough! Instead, we should make our people so enraged with the quarians that they will want to storm that enclave themselves... or will at least support those who take action!" the hotheads don't relent, too angry to listen to reason.
There is a grizzled lieutenant amongst all the marine grunts, who has spent most of the time listening and thinking until now. Suddenly, he begins to speak, offering an idea. "There's a simple but effective way to achieve this. Let's go back to the old 'they're stealing our supplies routine'".
"Yeah! Vakarian hasn't been here for a whole week to check the latest shipments... let's use it to our advantage!" the idea takes root quickly, the others immediately jumping on the lieutenant's bandwagon. "When the next shipment comes in, let's swipe some crates before they make it to the warehouses."
"No, wait, there is an even better way to do this," the lieutenant shakes his head. "Let's crack some of the crates open, swipe their contents, fill them up with some waste from the quarian ships and reseal them... that will make it appear particularly insulting..."
"Yes, that just might work!" the others agree with confident exclamations. "Let's make sure to raise a real storm over it! Let's call Vakarian in as well, so that he sees with his own eyes that the folks of his little slut are screwing us over..."
Admiral Tali'Zorah vas Normandy stands in the large CIC hall of the liveship Rayya, going through the scans of the damaged decks, the Reaper particle beam having wiped them clean of all agricultural facilities. She knows that there is no way to expand their food producing capacities, even worse, the specialists have been informing her and Admiral Kar'Danna about their worrying analysis of the soil in the greenhouses. Lacking means to enrich the soil with nutrients, the crop production is expected to plummet within a few months, gradually leaving them with less and less supplies of which there are already clearly not enough.
"I'm sorry, Tali, but you're wasting your time," Admiral Kar'Danna vas Rayya says, approaching her and taking the datapad out of her hands, putting it back down on the desk. "Give up, those facilities can't be repaired, not without resources from a dextro-based world. There is only one thing we can try, but it is quite risky." Tali faces him with a questioning stare. "We could request some supplies from the asari or the humans and start mixing food. As long as it is kept in small amounts, most of our people will be able to consume it."
Tali winces, remembering the few times during her Pilgrimage, when she happened to eat asari or salarian foods by accident, recalling how sick and nauseous she had felt for days after it, not looking forward to a similar experience. "I don't know... up to 5% of our people are likely to experience potentially fatal allergic shock, and many won't be able to keep the food down, making them even more hungry in turn... no, that is too risky... let's not go there just yet."
"I suppose you are right," the other admiral nods reluctantly. "At least the news from the relay science teams are encouraging. They will begin testing soon, so hopefully all we need is a little patience and then we'll be on our way back to Rannoch."
"Can you think of a way to tell that to the turians without getting yourself shot, Admiral Kar'Danna?" Tali asks bitterly. She has heard from Garrus about the increasingly hostile mood amongst his people, following the Admiralty's decision to decrease the turian's amount of supplies by a greater margin than their own, Tali having been the only one to vote against the proposal.
"Yes... I regret having to make that decision," Kar'Danna shakes his head sadly. "And speaking of turians... I actually came over to inform you that your friend wishes to speak with you. If you wish to answer, I will reroute the connection to the nearby console... maybe you can suggest to him that the turians mix our supplies with human food, perhaps they are less sensitive to allergic reactions."
"Right. That'll go over so well," Tali sighs, stepping up to the console and accepting the vid call, Kar'Danna walking away to give her privacy when speaking with Garrus. Bringing up the images, she sees her boyfriend pacing around restlessly near a stack of crates that bear the seals identifying them as having been sent from the Rayya. "Garrus... is something the matter?" she asks, starting to feel worried from how tense the turian looks.
"You tell me," Garrus replies with strain evident in his voice. "Did you check the latest shipment that your people sent from the Rayya?"
"Yes... why do you ask?" Tali replies, feeling confused now. "I even counted the crates myself, everything was in order."
"Maybe you should have opened them to check the contents, instead of just counting," Garrus snaps, looking a little irritated.
"What are you insinuating, exactly?" Tali begins to lose patience.
"I'm not insinuating anything. Everything seems perfectly clear to me. At first your people cut our supply share by whopping 30%. And now... they have sent us half the shipment filled with their own garbage," Garrus says, moving his hand so that his omni-tool captures the images from an opened crate on the warehouse floor, instead of the tubes with processed paste, the crate is filled with various junk, empty bottles, plastic wrappers and other packaging. "Don't bother asking, I've gone through the contents and it's definitely from the Rayya."
"But... I can't believe it!" Tali exclaims, shocked and surprised from the sight.
"I'd invite you down here to take a look for yourself, but I'm not sure I could keep my people from losing their cool," Garrus sighs. "But fine, you don't believe me? I'll open another one before your eyes. See, the ones on the top row were all fine, but the bottom row has all been filled with garbage from your ship. If it was meant to be insulting... well, it's working," he says, trying to undo the seals on the crate, Tali having to concede that they look as if they have not been tampered with, even if she knows that there are dozens of ways to crack these seals and then close them again, leaving no signs of tampering. "And there we go, more quarian crap... how useful," Garrus grunts, having forced the crate open and much to her dismay, Tali is forced to concede that the turian is correct.
"I don't understand this. Are you sure that..." Tali begins to speak, then cutting herself short, realizing that the situation is too volatile to even imply that the turians themselves have been up to something fishy.
"I don't think you want to finish that sentence, Tali," Garrus adds warningly. "Look, we urgently need something in place of this crap, or things might become very unpleasant. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep my people under control."
"But what can I do?" Tali exclaims, wringing her hands nervously. "We don't have anything extra to spare!"
"The warehouses in your enclave have some supplies," the turian suggests.
"No! Our ground forces are supposed to survive on those for the next five days, I won't let them starve!" Tali shakes her head, resolute, despite urgently trying to think of some way to help the turians. "Can your people tolerate mixing dextro-based nutrients with human food?"
"Now you just seek to insult me," Garrus looks furious at the suggestion.
"I didn't mean to! I... I'm sorry, I want to help both our people, but what am I supposed to do?" she cries desperately, feeling like bursting into tears but just about managing to keep herself together.
"I... don't know..." Garrus finally admits, sighing tiredly. "I'm sorry, too... I shouldn't take it out on you, it's not your fault, but... damn, this is putting me under a lot of stress! Looking at the faces of our people, I feel as if we're sitting on a fusion bomb here. Not having eaten a scrap of food for thirty six hours isn't helping either."
"Twenty four here," Tali sighs, trying to ignore the loud rumble and painful twitching in her belly. "I'm... really sorry, Garrus... I'll make sure to check each and every crate that leaves the Rayya from now on... is that acceptable?"
"Eh... I don't know, Tali," the turian shakes his head sadly. "If it was just me... sure. But now... spirits, I can't say... I fear that the damage may have been done already."