Let's give credit where credit is due. In a conversation with Karmen Sandiego, this suggestion was made: "Add in a bad guy who kidnaps Liara or something! Not Benny... that's too angsty... but like some Batarian who still hates Shep so he kidnaps her wife and Shep goes all renegade badass to get her back." At first, I was still up to my eyeballs in work to be done on "Never Again," so I placed the suggestion in the back of my head and let it stew there for a while. While it rested on the shelf, the idea had time to sink in and take root and I began to see a storyline forming. Not a word for word interpretation of the suggestion, perhaps, but a means by which to tie up some loose ends. It took on a life of its own and grew into a way for me to address several issues I have been meaning to get to. So, thank you K.S. for planting a little seed in my head. These next few chapters are what it blossomed into.
If you don't already know, "Never Again" is finally complete. I will also say that an understanding of my re-imagined ending for ME3 is necessary to understand this storyline. They are too closely linked to pull apart and I did not want to spend the time rehashing the ending here. I don't know if anyone who reads "After" has not read "Never Again," but this may get confusing if you don't know how my ending differs from Bioware's.
Anyway, with "Never Again" complete, "After" remains the only story I have yet to finish and it now gets all of my attention. Well, all of the attention that I devote to writing. This new story arc will probably take about three chapters, and then I already know what I want to write next. Now the trick will be finding the time to sit down and write it all.
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Loose Ends
The man in black waved his hand in front of him, flipping through the various documents projected before his eyes. Information at his fingertips, though not nearly the amount that he had grown accustomed to in years past. But times changed. You either adapted, or you became extinct. That was the cruel, hard truth of the galaxy, and the man in black was accustomed to cruel, hard truths.
But more importantly, he was accustomed to waiting. He knew the art of investment, in biding one's time until the opportune moment and then striking when his enemy least expected it. His plan now had taken a long time to blossom, but he hoped the fruits would benefit from the extra effort. They had to. If they did not, he doubted that he'd live long enough to scheme again.
So far, everything was on schedule, but it was still early. He had not even brought the most dangerous element into the mix yet: Commander Shepard. Once he drew her in, the variables to control would multiply exponentially. If life were like a game of chess, then she was a queen piece that refused to play by the rules. She would move in both predictable and unpredictable ways, and she would take as many turns as she liked.
Yet, the man in black had taken precautions. An idiot might have tried to kidnap either Shepard's wife or child in order to control her, thinking that it would provide the ultimate leverage against the hero. A false notion. Shepard excelled under pressure. The higher the stakes, the more flawless her performance. Besides, attacking her heart like that would have been the equivalent of signing his own death warrant. Commander Shepard did not forget and she did not forgive.
No, the trick was picking the right kind of leverage. Someone that would get Shepard's attention, but not necessarily spark the same blind rage that her wife or child would induce. Someone Shepard would not ignore, but who would not cloud her ability to reason either. The man needed Shepard to be rational. He needed the part of Shepard that could deal in cold, hard logic. Otherwise she would be too unpredictable to control.
A male voice quickly barked over the radio. "Sir, Alpha Team has just reported in. Bringing the prisoner to you immediately."
"Understood," the man said. He finished looking through the files, and with a swift movement of his hand made them vanish. Turning his chair towards the door, he waited patiently for his guest to arrive.
Three soldiers marched into the room, two dragging the prisoner between them and the third bringing up the rear as support. The hostage was a human woman, dressed in a fashionable white dress that would have been appropriate at any formal function. It was cut low enough to show off the woman's assets without seeming distasteful, and the tailoring was obviously of superior quality. Unfortunately, the dress had been torn and dirtied a bit from the struggle. Over her head was a black bag and her hands were handcuffed behind her back.
The man made a gesture for the soldiers to uncover her face. When the bag was lifted from her eyes, she glared at the man with an expression that promised death, and then, when she saw his face, absolute shock. Her mouth hung open and her black hair stuck to her forehead, disheveled from the bag.
"Miranda Lawson," the man in black said, taking out a cigarette, putting it to his lips, and lighting it. He took a long drag and then said, "It's been a long time."
"The Illusive Man," she growled. "I had hoped that you were dead somewhere. What hole did you crawl out of?"
Leaning back in his chair, he said, "Now, now, Miranda. Is that any way to talk to your old boss? Sorry about the rough transportation. I doubted you'd be very... cooperative on your own."
"Damn right," she muttered. Miranda made a move to pull free from her guards, but the two men on either side of her held fast. "So what is this, revenge? You finally tracked me down? You're a little late to the party. I've been in the public eye for years as the human councilor."
"Oh, yes, I know," he replied. "Your loyalty to Shepard really did pay off." He took another drag from his cigarette. "However, I'm afraid I will have to hurt your pride, Miranda. You're not the one I'm after. You're bait. That's not to say I won't have a use for you, though. Your position as human councilor has its merits."
"What are you after?" Miranda demanded. "What are you up to?"
The Illusive Man smiled. "I'm doing what I do best, Miranda. Subterfuge. But more than that, I'm evolving. Shepard taught me that Cerberus could not be an army against the entire galaxy. That approach was foolish. No..." He exhaled a puff of smoke from his cigarette, the fog obscuring his face. "I'm taking a page out of our mutual enemy's playbook instead. I'll use the greatest weapon humanity ever bred in order to ensure human dominance. I'll use Commander Shepard."
~.~.~.~.~
Her fists struck the bag in quick, fluid motions. One, two, three, four. Left, right, left, right. Then a brief pause, enough time to take a breath, and she changed the type of strike. A regular punch, four hits. Then a forearm strike, four hits. Then a palm strike, four hits. And so on. Shepard's movements were practiced, controlled, and her mind was completely absorbed in her actions. Sweat rolled down her bare arms, it collected on the back of her neck, and it fell from her forehead into her eyes, but she blinked it away. There were plenty of other people in the gym, soldiers of all different species, but the commander stood alone. To her all that existed at the moment was the punching bag, the feel of her fists making contact and the strain in her muscles.
It was easy to separate new recruits from veterans simply by how much attention they paid the commander. Those who had served in the Galactic Military for a while completely ignored her. They worked alone or in pairs, lifting weights, running on the track, or doing any number of exercises. Seeing Commander Shepard engrossed in her workout routine had lost its novelty long ago. If she was on the base, then anyone could see her at midday at the gym. They simply couldn't talk to her. People had tried in the past, and sometimes the fresh meat would be foolish enough to try too, but she just trained people with a gaze that said they were transgressing on something sacred and if they persisted she wouldn't need a punching bag anymore. Still, the newbies insisted on watching her, marveling at seeing a living legend look almost... human.
For Shepard, it was a ritual. It was comforting to clear her mind and concentrate on the purely physical for a while. She liked to forget her other duties and revert back to the most basic foundations of being a soldier: fighting and struggling. She was glad that her days of constant danger were behind her, but all the same they were events that defined her. There was comfort in hanging up her command for a while and just pretending to be a simple soldier.
Absorbed in the moment, her thoughts only on the next strike, it took several tries before Shepard heard her name being called. Her right fist struck the bag, causing it to rock back and shake, but when it swung back she caught it with both hands and stood up straight. Turning, she saw EDI standing behind her.
If EDI was annoyed at having to struggle to get the commander's attention, she didn't show it. Instead, she said, "Shepard, there's a transmission that needs your attention immediately."
Shepard knew that EDI would not bother her during her workout if it wasn't truly something important. Walking over to a nearby bench, she picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from her face. "A message? About what?"
"I don't know. The call was sent directly to your private conference room, bypassing the proper clearance channels. The call also requires your voice print to access."
Shepard frowned. Draping the towel around her shoulders, she motioned for EDI to walk with her back to the command center. A voice print? Well, anyone with extranet access could obtain a sample of her voice. But bypassing clearance channels suggested someone with hacking expertise. The Shadow Broker maybe? Feron had never been so aggressive about trying to contact her though. In fact, he preferred to contact Liara first. "And whoever it is has just been waiting for me to answer the call?" she asked.
EDI nodded. "Yes. They have been persistent in waiting."
They left the gym area and Shepard began unwrapping the tape from around her knuckles. She flexed her fingers as she thought. "And could you determine who it is?"
"I cannot be positive, but... I did notice something strange about the encryption. The layering of the encryption and the style is reminiscent of... well, of Cerberus."
Shepard almost stopped dead in her tracks, but forced herself to keep walking. "Cerberus? Are you sure?"
"I was created by them, Shepard. I know their encryption techniques inside and out. This is... well, it is new, but it is familiar. Though perhaps someone else is using Cerberus encryption to throw us off. The Shadow Broker has told us before that Cerberus remained inactive after the war. Destroying their base was a deathblow. The Illusive Man's body was never recovered, but he had no more resources. Even if he is alive, he has been quiet for some time."
Shepard pursed her lips as she thought. They walked in silence the rest of the way to the command center of the base, and then Shepard said, "There's no way to know exactly what to expect, EDI. It's important that we be prepared for anything. If our mysterious caller is content to wait, then we'll make him or her wait a few moments longer. I'm going to change into my uniform so that I don't look caught unprepared. In the meantime, I want you to summon Garrus as well as my communications expert, Halber. I'll want all three of you there when I take the call."
"Yes, Commander."
Shepard quickly went to her office and showered as quickly as possible before changing into her admiral's uniform. She made sure that she looked as professional as possible and then went to her private conference room where she found the others. Garrus also wore his uniform and stood straight backed, eyeing the blinking light on the terminal that indicated a waiting call. Next to him stood an elcor, the black and silver cloth draped over the creature's back which served as the elcor version of the uniform. Halber was short for an elcor, only about six foot five, but otherwise he looked like the rest of his race. He also seemed much more aware of how other species perceived the elcor means of speech, and Shepard knew him to employ this understanding into his unique sense of humor. His understanding of other species was precisely what made him such a valuable member of the military. As Shepard's highest ranked communications expert, Halber's job was to listen to various transmissions or watch intercepted vids and then weed out truth from fiction. Even the most subtle movement was like a fluorescent sign to an elcor. The best liar in the galaxy couldn't hide the truth from Halber.
Shepard told each of her comrades to listen to the conversation with the mysterious caller, but not make their presence known. EDI would try to trace the call and see what other information she could glean from it. Halber would listen for all the things unsaid, and Garrus would serve as Shepard's trusted advisor.
Steeling herself for the unexpected, Shepard hit the button to accept the call. The transmission asked for a voice print and she said her name. There was a moment of silence while it authenticated and then an image was projected before her, a familiar shape sitting in a chair and smoking a cigarette. "You," she murmured, glaring at the Illusive Man.
He waved his hand in front of his face to clear the smoke from his cigarette, and said, "Yes, it's me. You don't look nearly as surprised as I thought you might be."
"You're still using Cerberus encryption. I had a head's up that it might be Cerberus, but I'd hoped that you had wised up after the war and stopped causing trouble."
"Oh, I have wised up, Commander. I learned a lot from you. Hard lessons, but I learned. I watched you betray me, steal my best people, kill my top agent, and destroy my base. I watched you crush the greatest opportunity humanity ever had to achieve power. All my work and sacrifices towards controlling the Reapers... you destroyed. But you didn't destroy me. And I have work still to be done."
After the war, when Shepard realized that her encounter with the Illusive Man had been false, the result of indoctrination, she had wondered what had happened to him. She'd asked Feron to look into the Illusive Man's whereabouts, but even the Shadow Broker couldn't find him. Cerberus's financial backers were either dead or had cut all ties by the end of the war. The organization had gone up in smokes along with the main base. The whole thing had unraveled into chaos and without the Illusive Man, no one could pull it all back together. She'd hoped that he'd died somewhere along the way, killed trying to escape the base or by a Reaper. If not that, then she'd hoped that he'd at least given up - realized that he was beaten and decided to disappear quietly. But no. Here he was, alive and still playing at his same old game.
Shepard sighed and said, "Let's cut to the chase then. What are you doing now? Why show your face after all these years?"
He seemed to ponder that with a smile, pulling on his cigarette before saying, "Cut to the chase? I must admit I'm rather hurt, Shepard. Here we are, chatting after a decade apart and you want to cut our conversation short?" Then, as if they were sitting down to tea he said, "You look good, Shepard. Like you haven't aged a day. Yes, that body of yours is remarkable, isn't it? The body that Cerberus gave you."
Shepard glared at him. "Funny. I can't say the same for you." The Illusive Man had never been young when she knew him, but he looked especially worn down now. His face was a mass of wrinkles and worry lines and he looked pale. He still wore his nice suits, still put on his best face, but that face was noticeably older.
"Yes. Dealing with you will do that to a person," he said, unmoved by her words. "But things have worked out quite nicely for you since the war. Power, prestige, and the home life you always wanted. Your beautiful wife and daughter... how you must love them."
Shepard visibly bristled at that. She didn't like him mentioning her family, especially when he looked like a cat toying with a mouse. "If you even think about laying a hand on them-" she began, but he cut her off.
"Oh, don't worry. I have no intention of harming them. At least, not as long as we can stay civil." He grinned, showing several of his teeth. "Though, I suppose now would be a good time to mention that I have taken someone you know. You could say that I've taken back what was originally mine."
Someone who was originally his... that could only mean Miranda or Jacob. And knowing the Illusive Man, one would be a sweeter revenge than the other. Shepard shot EDI and a look and she nodded back. She would contact c-sec and have them search Miranda's apartment on the Citadel. She would also get in contact with the rest of the council to see when Miranda was last seen.
Flicking her eyes back to the Illusive Man, Shepard said, "So, what do you want then? You don't seem like the type to deal in ransom."
"Ah, yes, but times have changed, Shepard. As I'm sure you're aware, Cerberus has existed as a... a shadow of its former self. I've been careful to keep off the radar since I am aware that the Shadow Broker is in your pocket. And that has meant leaving my financial resources behind. I'm sure the Alliance will be more than happy to pay in order to have their human councilor returned to them unharmed."
"And yet, you've called me," Shepard pointed out.
"Yes. You have something I want as well Shepard. I want you to return what you stole from me. I want the Normandy hand delivered to me. And in addition I want the AI, EDI, delivered to me as well."
"What makes you think I would possibly bend to your demands?"
"I trust that you care about Ms. Lawson's safety," he said with a shrug. "I will be contacting the Alliance soon with my demands and they will be made aware of what I require you to contribute." He activated his omni-tool. "I am sending you coordinates to the drop off location. Once you have met my demands, Ms. Lawson will be safely returned to you. I trust you'll make the right call, Commander." And with that he ended the transmission.
Shepard made an annoyed sound in her throat and turned to her companions. "That reeked of a double cross," she said. "I know that man well enough to know he never plays straight up."
"Confidently: I agree, Commander." Halber's voice came out as the usual elcor monotone, but his eyes seemed to hold interest in what he had just heard. "The Illusive Man lied about several things."
"Ok, give me the run down, Halber. Which parts were true and which were lies?"
"Sympathetically: It is true that he has kidnapped Councilor Lawson. Optimistically: However, it is also true that he will return her if you meet his demands. I believe this is a good indication that she is still alive." He paused briefly. "Thoughtfully: But his demands were not honest. He does not want the Normandy or EDI. He does not truly want the money either."
"Then what does he want?" Garrus mused aloud.
"Well, the drop off point is obviously a trap," Shepard said. "Maybe he wants to kill me? Lure me out in the open and then take a shot at me?"
"Direct revenge isn't really his style," Garrus replied dryly.
"You're right," Shepard agreed. "But what could he possibly hope to get from me? He said he's changed... maybe it is just as simple as wanting to kill me."
"Helpfully: Commander, there was one more detail I noticed about him." Halber took one ponderous step towards her - a rather human like gesture. He was far better than most elcor at adopting the mannerisms of other species. "Pensive: Throughout your conversation he watched you very closely, trying to observe your reaction. Much like how I was observing him. He seemed more interested in how you reacted than what you said. Pondering: I think he knew that you would identify his lies."
Shepard ran a hand straight back through her hair without disturbing it from its bun. "So, you're saying that he knew I wouldn't buy his crap, and he wanted to see how I would react to it." Gesturing with her hands, Shepard added, "He called in order to lie to me, knowing that I would see through him and therefore come up with some way to trick him, while he simultaneously prepares some sort of trick for me." She shook her head. "Wow, look how far down the rabbit hole goes..."
"That's more like the Illusive Man we know," Garrus said.
Shepard began to pace while she thought about her next step. Getting Miranda back was the top priority, but there was definitely a trap in the works. She would need to be smart and careful about her approach. Still, time was of the essence. She didn't want to leave her friend in the Illusive Man's hands for too long. To fight her old enemy she would need information, and there was only one person with more resources when it came to information than the Illusive Man: The Shadow Broker.
She stopped pacing and looked at her companions. "Here's what I need done. First, Halber, I will temporarily be assigning you to the Normandy to work directly for me on this mission. You can go ahead and pack your things. I'll have the paperwork in order within the hour."
"Respectfully: Yes, Commander." The elcor moved off towards the door.
"Second, Garrus, you'll also be coming with me on this mission. I need you if shit hits the fan."
"Wouldn't miss it, Shepard," he replied back with a grin.
"Third, EDI, I need you to contact Liara and ask her to come here immediately. I need to talk to her about calling in a favor with an old friend. If you tell her that I can't discuss details over the phone, she'll understand. But before you do that, did you dig up any information on what happened to Miranda?"
"Yes, c-sec had just begun their investigation when I made contact. There were apparent signs of a struggle at Ms. Lawson's apartment. The last person she spoke to in person seems to be a volus diplomat shortly before she left work. The last call she made appears to be to her sister, Oriana. No one knows what happened to her after that."
"So, in other words, they waited until she was alone and then took her."
"Yes."
Shepard made an angry noise in her throat and shook her head. "Well, the Illusive Man will know how to cover his tracks. We shouldn't expect many clues. Please call my wife and tell her to meet me here. I'll be in my office. Garrus, you might want to prepare to leave. I want to ship out by tonight."
In her office, Shepard prepared the paperwork for Halber and Garrus's transfers to the Normandy. She also made contact with c-sec to talk to them personally about Miranda's disappearance. They had little to say, but Shepard requested that they hold off on making an announcement to the public for at least another 24 hours. She expected a call from the Alliance soon and she felt their conversation would go more smoothly if the Alliance did not feel under pressure from the public. As she worked, Liara showed up at her office within the hour. She had clearance to walk straight through the military compound all the way to Shepard's office and let herself in.
Shepard looked up from her work and smiled, gesturing with one hand for Liara to take a seat across from her. Liara sat down and smiled in return, but her eyes showed that the sudden call had made her anxious. No doubt she was trying to reason through why Shepard would call her out of work to meet in private.
"I'm really sorry to interrupt your work," Shepard said quickly. "You weren't in the middle of class were you?"
Liara shrugged. "I was, but the lesson was almost done anyway. I am sure my students were glad to be let out early."
"Ah, well, I am sorry," Shepard said again. "But what I have to tell you is important." She told Liara everything she knew about Miranda's disappearance and her conversation with the Illusive Man.
Liara's expression grew more troubled and when Shepard had finished she said, "This is terrible news, Shepard."
"Tell me about it," the commander agreed. Leaning forward and folding her hands on her desk, Shepard said, "I've got to rescue Miranda. Which means I need to act as quickly as possible." She could see Liara piecing together the implication before she even said it. "So, I'm shipping out tonight, Liara. I'm going to crush the Illusive Man once and for all." The frown on Liara's face told the commander that she didn't like that news one bit, so Shepard continued on before it could turn into an argument. "I want to call in a favor from Feron for this mission. If you explain to him, I'm sure he'll help. I want him to feed me information about Cerberus: their movements, their radio transmissions, anything really. We've heard nothing about Cerberus since the war ended, but I'm sure they have plenty of information about us."
"The fact that Feron has not mentioned anything about Cerberus means that they have become good at lying low, Shepard. Your best bet will probably be to intercept their radio transmissions as you get closer to their actual position and then use the Shadow Broker's resources to extract the most you can out of those."
Shepard's expression grew grave. "I can't mobilize an entire intelligence team that quickly. EDI may be able to intercept some, but the Illusive Man will probably expect her to be listening in."
"You need someone with experience intercepting messages and deciphering information," Liara pointed out.
"Well, yes, I suppose."
"Then, you need me with you."
Shepard shifted uncomfortably at that. "I don't think that's a good idea."
Liara gave her a level look. "I know you are saying that because, like usual, you would rather run off into danger alone. But if you look at it logically, Shepard, you need me with you. Since I was the Shadow Broker, I am more than skilled enough to compete with the Illusive Man at his own game. I also know how Cerberus operates, unlike someone who was not with us during the war. And since time is of the essence, a one woman team can be much more efficient."
Shepard shrugged uncomfortably. It was true that she didn't like the idea of putting Liara in danger. She knew that Liara could take care of herself - she truly did - but it was never easy putting the woman she loved at risk. But arguing that point would only insult Liara and make her angry, so Shepard tried a different approach. "What about Benny? She'll be upset if we both leave suddenly."
That gave Liara a moment of pause, but she replied, "Benny's class field trip to the Citadel starts tomorrow. She will hardly notice we are gone since she will be on her trip as well."
"Aren't you supposed to be a chaperone for that?"
Liara shrugged. "I will ask my mother to fill in. I am certain she will agree if it is for Benny's sake." Then, frowning, Liara added, "But now that you mention Benny, I am wondering if the Illusive Man would try to hurt her. Maybe we should try to hide her."
Shepard shook her head. "He said that he wasn't going to harm either you or Benny, and Halber says he wasn't lying. I don't want to scare Benny by forcing her into hiding, plus I don't think she's ready to know about..." Shepard waved her hand as she tried to think of some way to sum up her and Liara's shared history. "This," she finished weakly. "Still, you make a good point. I'll make sure our girl has another guardian angel looking over her shoulder. I'll ask James to go on the field trip as a chaperone as well. He's actually on shore leave right now, but I'm sure he'll do us this favor."
Liara nodded. "Yes, that would make me feel better."
Shepard realized suddenly that Liara had already won the argument. She'd practically agreed just by arguing logistics and by volunteering James to guard their daughter while they were away. She could hardly argue with Liara now. And the truth was, she did need someone who could fight the Illusive Man on his own terms. She needed a shadow broker.
Sighing, Shepard said, "I guess you'd better call Aethyta."
"She is supposed to pick Benny up from school today. I will call her and ask her to bring Benny here so we can talk to them both."
Leaning back in her chair, Shepard tapped her forefinger on her desk. "So, how do we tell Benny all this? I don't want to tell her about Miranda. It will just upset her. But she will know something is up when we both leave on the Normandy."
Liara thought for a few moments before saying, "We can tell her that we have to deal with something related to the Reaper War. It is technically true, after all. She might not think much of it since we have gone to memorials for the war before. She has only known us as being retired from fighting. I do not think she will suspect we are hunting down a madman."
"Ok, that's what we will tell her," Shepard agreed with a nod. "Make the call to Aethyta and I will call James and finish preparations."
~.~.~.~.~
Benny shifted the weight of her book bag which hung off one shoulder as she exited the school building. Next to her, her friend, Tela, tittered excitedly about their field trip to the Citadel. Tela was asari like Benny, though her father was turian and she was a darker shade of blue, almost purple. She'd never been to the Citadel, and was asking Benny all sorts of questions since she had been multiple times with her parents. What did it look like? What kind of fun things could they do while there? Was it really as crowded as everyone said? Benny answered as best she could, smiling and laughing as they made their way to the carpool area.
Twelve years old, skinny and lanky, Benny moved with an odd mixture of pre-adolescent awkwardness and a sense of natural grace. Like most of her classmates, she was at an age where she felt less and less comfortable in her own skin. On top of that, she found herself more aware of the world around her and finding out just how big the galaxy really was. It was a daunting prospect. But like Shepard, Benny had a certain amount of swagger to her demeanor - an indomitable air of confidence that seemed to veil her doubt from the eyes of her peers.
She scanned the line of cars and after spotting her ride, said goodbye to Tela and hopped into the black sports vehicle.
"Hey, Grandma," she said, leaning over to peck the older asari on the cheek. The matriarch smiled at her granddaughter, the only person who always elicited that response from her.
"Hey, baby girl," she replied in her rough voice. She then trained her eyes on the book bag that Benny had placed in her lap. "Throw that bag in the back seat, child. You know how I think they make you carry too much stuff in there. You won't be comfortable with it in your lap."
Benny obediently hefted the bag over the seat and into the back. She had tried protesting in the past that she didn't mind holding it in her lap, but her grandma was peculiar about it. If they were walking anywhere, she wouldn't even like Benny carry the bag herself because she thought it was too heavy for a child. Even at twelve years old, Grandma still treated Benny like a little girl.
"Listen, honey, we have to swing by the military base," Grandma said. "Your parents asked me to bring you there after school."
"What for?"
"They want to talk to you." Grandma waved her hand dismissively as if the reason were of no great importance. "Something about having to go to some Reaper War related thing. They have to go on a trip."
"Oh," Benny murmured. "But Mommy is supposed to come on the field trip with us."
"I know, baby, but apparently this thing is pretty important. But don't worry, I will go with you."
Benny pursed her lips in thought and didn't say anything. She wasn't particularly upset that her mom wasn't going on the field trip anymore - she was fairly independent and didn't throw a fit if her parents couldn't be with her all the time - but the suddenness of it had caught her off guard. Her parents traveled all the time, but they never sprung it on her at the last minute. She usually knew weeks in advance.
Grandma watched her carefully, concern etched across her face, and she said, "I know you're upset that your mom can't go, but on the bright side you're more likely to get whatever you want if you're with me."
Benny couldn't help but smile at that. The way her grandma spoiled her was a well known fact. It drove her parents crazy sometimes because the matriarch would indulge Benny on anything. Benny had heard the terms "momma's boy" and "daddy's girl" before, and she knew that she was in a slightly different category: "grandma's girl."
Distracted, Benny pointed to the steering wheel of the car and asked, "Can I drive today?"
This was not an uncommon occurrence. The matriarch had a rather lax definition of what she thought was and was not appropriate for children. Carrying heavy book bags was not for children. Learning to drive cars when they were still below the legal age, however, was fine.
Grandma shrugged and gestured towards the wheel. "I don't see why not. You steer and I'll do everything else."
~.~.~.~.~
"This is for you," EDI said, placing a lollipop into Benny's right hand. The little asari looked at the candy and then to the AI and tilted her head.
"Uh... what for?" she asked. Benny and Aethyta had just arrived at the base and had been waiting at the entrance until EDI had come down to clear them through. After getting through security, they had started walking towards Shepard's office and EDI had given Benny the lollipop.
"It is customary in many cultures for children to receive sweets in reward for good behavior. Many societies practice this social conditioning of offspring. Therefore, I am rewarding your good behavior with this piece of candy."
"You didn't ask whether I've been good though," Benny pointed out.
"I accessed your grades and discovered that you are making excellent marks," EDI explained. "Good grades are directly correlated with good behavior. You have also received no demerits or any other disciplinary actions from your school."
"Oh," Benny murmured. "Um, thanks." She unwrapped the lollipop and stuck it in her mouth with a smile. EDI often engaged in quirky behaviors in an attempt to "normalize" herself. In the end, it just highlighted the fact that she only understood organic customs on a superficial level, but most people appreciated the attempt anyway. For Benny, she was so accustomed to having EDI around that she never dwelt on the odd interactions.
They walked the familiar passageways of the base while EDI tried to engage in chitchat. Or at least her version of it. A question about what Benny was studying in school quickly turned into a lecture about the intricacies of theoretical physics after Benny said that her class had started algebra. EDI's computer brain just couldn't limit itself to a 7th grade understanding of things. She had a wealth of knowledge always at her disposal, but not always the knowledge to know when others wanted to hear it. Benny let her ramble on though, and exchanged looks with her grandma, followed by shrugs that said, "I have no idea what she's talking about."
The commander's office was modeled after the communications center of the Normandy. A large circular room provided space for meetings as well as a table in the middle that could project maps and other images. On the far end stood a communication link for making calls across several billion light years. Shepard's personal office was actually tucked away in a room to the left of this central area, but one could see in through glass walls unless she artificially dimmed them.
When Benny, Aethyta, and EDI entered the room, Liara stood at the far end, talking with the projection of a drell over the comm link. Benny had never seen him before. His deep, rough voice was one she couldn't recall ever hearing.
They had arrived in time to hear Liara say, "Thank you, Feron. I appreciate you helping out on such short notice."
"It's no problem at all, Liara," he said. "Besides, it seems like you've been needing me less and less over the years. I have to admit I was starting to feel useless." He let out a self-deprecating laugh, as if they both knew that labeling what he did as useless was a grand joke. Benny didn't get the joke.
Liara chuckled too, though, and replied, "I will link to your systems the moment I get aboard the Normandy. You really are a good friend, Feron."
She ended the call and turned, eyes widening in surprise at the three standing in the doorway. "Oh, Benny," she said. "You are here already." She crossed the room towards them. "Thank you for picking her up and bringing her, Mother."
Aethyta grumbled under her breath at being called mother, but nodded her head all the same. Benny peered at her own mother and searched her face for some clue as to what her parents planned to tell her. She found nothing, so instead asked, "Who was that drell you were talking to, Mom?" She'd stopped calling Liara Mommy once she got old enough to think that the name was too babyish. She'd shortened it to Mom, although Shepard remained Momma.
"Oh, just an old friend. From back before the war."
Benny wanted to press for details, but before she could, Shepard poked her head out of her office and spotted them all gathered by the doorway. "Ah, there you are," she said, smiling. Coming out of the office to stand by Liara, she asked, "Did Grandma already tell you about our trip?"
Benny nodded. "Where are you going?"
"Oh, we have to do some big thing related to the war," Shepard answered, shrugging her shoulders as if it was a real bore to talk about. "I guess you could say it's just one of those loose ends we keep having to tie up."
Many people said that while Benny looked a lot like Liara, she seemed to have inherited more of Shepard's personality. She was bold, confident, and perhaps most importantly, good at reading other people. She knew when she was being given the slip, and she knew that her parents were not being entirely honest. Not that they were lying; they probably were going somewhere, and it was probably related to the Reaper War in some way, but it wasn't going to be as boring as they wanted her to believe. Yet, why keep it a secret? Did they not want her to feel left out if they were going somewhere fun without her? Or was it something more?
At the moment, she didn't have enough information to glean the truth. And she doubted she'd be able to get it from her parents. Perhaps she could get Grandma to reveal some information later. Yes, that would be the best tactic. Benny decided not to press her parents any further and instead asked, "When will you be back?"
"Hopefully by the time you get back from your school trip," Shepard said. "Maybe a few days later at most."
Another vague answer. Benny didn't know what to make of that.
"Are you leaving tonight?"
"Yes, very soon." The commander smiled in an apologetic sort of way. "I'm sorry we are springing this on you last minute." Then Shepard scooped Benny up in her arms, lifting the asari off the ground and pulling her into a tight hug. Despite the fact that Benny now came up to her parents' chests, the commander had no problem lifting her daughter as if she were still a small child. If they had been in public, Benny might have felt embarrassed at being picked up by her mother, but since only her family and EDI were present, she tightly wrapped her arms and legs around Shepard's torso and hugged her back. "I love you, Benny," her mother said. "Be a good girl for Grandma and don't get into a lot of trouble, ok?" She lowered her voice in a conspiratorial way and added humorously, "Don't beat anyone up unless you have to."
Benny giggled. "Ok, Momma. I'll try."
Shepard set her daughter back down and Liara pulled Benny into an embrace next. "Call me when you get to the Citadel," she said. "And make sure you pack your toothbrush, and enough clothes, and -"
"Ok, I will, Mom," Benny interrupted, rolling her eyes.
"If you need us, just call us."
Benny said goodbye to her parents and as she and her grandmother left the base, she wondered where the Normandy would really be going. She wondered what sort of loose end they would need to tie up. And she wondered why they hadn't told her the truth.