Shiala moaned as she awoke only to find a lamia and minotaur looking down at her. It didn't take her long to figure out that what Saren did to her had been undone and her savours had now become her captors. She couldn't help but smile at this, she was finally free of that maniac's control. Relaxing she looked up at the two and spoke, but as she did her voice felt sore.

"I guess you are the ones who helped?" she asked.

"Yeah, you fell out of this pod in the Thorian's lair," the minotaur said. "I assume it wasn't willingly,"

"Yes and no," Shiala replied making the two demi humans look to each other with a raised brow. "I served Matriarch Benezia, who allied herself with Saren,"

"Any reassssson why?" the lamia asked.

"She foresaw his influence would have and she thought that she could guide him down another path. But Saren was compelling, and drew her in to his way of thinking," the minotaur's eyes narrowed at her.

"He can control minds?" she asked.

"It's hard to explain," Shiala admitted as she tried think on how to explain. "Benezia, underestimated Saren. As did I and my sisters. We came to believe in his cause and goals. The strength of his influence is troubling. Asari matriarchs are some of the most powerful and intelligent beings in the galaxy. I… I don't think it was Saren himself is the one who managed to influence us, he planted the seeds but I think it was the vessel he had. An enormous warship the calls Sovereign. Every time I walked onto that ship, I felt more and more sure of our goal. I think that the ship can dominate minds," she sook her head as she remembered more. "It's some form of indoctrination. It takes time, sometimes days or weeks but in the end it's absolute," she winced as if the thought of it pained her.

The lamia moved to one side and took some pills out of a pot and handed them to Shiala. "Take thessse, they sssshoul help with the pain,"

"Thank you," the asari said as she took the pills and swallowed them.

"So why did Saren put you in that Thorian pod?" the minotaur asked.

"He needed by biotics to communicate with the Thorian, to learn it's secrets. I was sacrificed in trade for an alliance between Saren and the Thorian," she winced again at the painful memory. "But the alliance didn't last. After he had what he wanted, he ordered the geth to destroy any and all evidence of its existence," she then looked up at the minotaur as her mind slowly beginning to clear. "Your Commander Shepard, right?" she asked with the commander just nodding. "Saren knows you are after the conduit, knowing that you'll try and destroy it to stop him. He knows that you are following him, so he ordered the destruction of the Thorian to stop you from getting the cipher,"

This time, the lamia's eyes narrowed. "What'sssss thissss Csssssipher?" she asked with a concerned voice.

"The beacon on Eden Prime gave the commander visions, but cannot make sense of them. that's because they were made for a Prothean mind. Being human means that she, like Saren, will not be able to understand them. They both need to think like a Prothean, to understand their culture, their history, their very existence. That's why Saren needed the Thorian, it was here long before the Protheans even built their city. It watched them, studied them and when they died, they became apart of it,"

"Commander I do not like where this is going," the lamia said.

"Like it or not, Chackwas, it's going to happen," Zenna shot before turing back to the Asari. "So, the Cipher is, more or less, an understanding of the Protheans?"

Shiala fell silent for a moment. "It's hard to explain. In a way you are right, but it's more complex than that it's like…." she tried to think of the right human idiom. "…shooting fish in a barrel?"

That just made the two humans smile. "That means something is dead easy," Shepard said making Shiala go red. "You are trying to say it's impossible to understand without knowing it right?" that got a nod from the Asari. "So, it's basically a cold day in hell,"

"I'm not familiar with human religions," Shiala admitted.

"That's fine, hell in the main human religions is meant to be a place where your soul goes for eternal torment. It's said to be very hot, so saying 'a cold day in hell' essentially means it's impossible," Zenna explained.

"Ah, I see what you mean, but I don't think that's what I'm looking for. It's like trying to explain colour to someone who is both deaf and blind," she said as she finally found a good enough comparison making the Commander nod in response. "To understand you must have an endemic ancestral memory. A viewpoint spanning thousands of Prothean generations. When I melded with the Thorian, I sensed it. Both of our existences merged and we became one. Such knowledge cannot be taught, it simply exists,"

"I'm going to need that knowledge," Zenna said with a thoughtful mind. "Will a mind meld help with that?"

"Yes, I can transfer the knowledge to you though it," Shiala agreed.

"Before this happens…" Chackwas began to say but the commander already brought up her omni-tool.

"Liara can you come to the medical bay please," she said and a few seconds latter the young daughter of Benezia walked in.

"Commander," she nodded. "How can I help?"

"We are about to mind meld for something called the Cipher, can you watch to see if anything happens?" that was like a slap to the face with Shiala even if she understood the reason why.

Liara was a little hesitant but nodded. The commander the walked up next to the bed and unlocked Shiala's cuffs.

"Ok when ready," Zenna said, but her tone betrayed her nervousness.

"Close your eyes commander," Shiala said calmly as she placed her fingers on the side of the commander's temples while the commander closed her eyes. "Clear your mind, and embrace eternity,"

To the commander the experience lasted for what seemed like hours as the images became clear. But to the outside world it lasted for just a few seconds. As the two broke contact Liara moved up and grabbed the commander before she could fall back while Shiala just shook her head. The experience of mind melding was mentally taxing on both parties, so they would experience some discomfort but it was clear that the commander's mental barriers were strong as she didn't relapse.

"I've just given you the Cipher, all you need to stop Saren," Shiala said. "It may take your mind some time to adjust and process the information, but in time it will become clear,"

"Thank you," Zenna said before she regained her composure. "What will you do now?"

"I'll stay on Zhu's hope and help out, it's the least I can do for repayment," she said and the commander just nodded.

OOOOO a few hours later.

Pharah and Zenna stood in the medical bay as Chackwas finished her DNA scan of the two. They weren't expecting much, but there was a bit of hope to see if the two were related. But, being minotaurs, they tempered their expectations knowing that not everything would be what they want it to be. After a few more moments Chackwas pulled away and looked up.

"I'm sssssory," she said and the two minotaurs just looked at each other.

"Well it was a long shot," Pharah said. "But I'm glad there's more out there,"

"Same," Zenna said as she took Pharah's hand and shook it. "Maybe a catch up for lunch?"

"I'd like that," Pharah said as she and the commander walked out.

As they did Joker came on over the intercom. "Commander, the council would like to discuss the mission report. Should I patch them in?"

"Please do, I'm on the way," Zenna said before looking at her chimera sister. "Sorry but duty calls,"

Pharah just smiled. "Don't worry I know, I had to do the same thing,"

"Yeah, see you sometime," Zenna said as she pulled away from the minotaur and walked into the briefing room where the councillor's holograms were already up.

"Councillors," Zenna greeted.

"Commander, Exo-genni should have told us about the Thorian," Tevos said. "It would have made your job much easier,"

"I doubt it councillor," Shepard said. "Knowing corporations, they would have likely made some demands that I wouldn't be able to keep,"

"You might have been able to capture it for study," Valern added.

"I don't think that would have been possible given it's spores and more. I mean Exo-genni tried to study it and look how that turned out,"

"A fair point commander, but still…" Valern muttered.

"Perhaps it's for the best," Tevos conceded. "At least the colony was saved,"

"Of course, it was saved," Sparatus shot. "Shepard would go to any lengths to save a human colony,"

"And what does being human have to do with it?" Shepard shot back. "But then again you being a desk jockey, I bet you don't know how to handle a gun anymore," that made him twitch.

"Spectres have to make sacrifices Commander," Valern then said to stop the word brawl that was about to begin. "I hope you are ready when the time comes,"

"I know about sacrifice," Zenna admitted as she shuddered. "If it comes to it, I'll deal with those consequences,"

"We'll be looking forward to your next report," Tevos said before the holograms vanished.

Zenna sighed before Joker came back on over the intercom. "Commander, I have Anderson on the line for you,"

"Patch him in," Shepard said and Anderson's holographic from appeared before here.

"Shepard, how's the Spectre life treating you?" he asked in a casual tone.

"Like I want to rip the head of the Turian councilman," she said with a shrug.

Anderson tried to stifle a chuckle but failed. "I can imagine that; he's never been happy with us humans. But onto a more serious note," he lost that amused tone and turned more serious. "We've gotten reports from Nova, that several demi-human children have gone missing. Given your experience with them I though you could investigate,"

"Will do," Zenna said.

OOOOO

Liara sighed as she rested her head on her desk as she thought about what to do. She had finished her final batch of Prothean research, which wasn't much. What she wanted to do was get into Shepard's head and see this Cipher the other Asari gave her. But the Commander wanted to give it a good day until they tried anything, which made sense. Her first experience with mind melding likely made her a little hesitant. Her train of thought was interrupted by her stomach growling.

That was all the encouragement she needed to get up and walk out. As she walked into the main canteen, she spied the other's already getting food.

"Hey Liara," Ashley called. "Grab a tray and join us,"

"You sure?" the Asari asked shyly.

Ash rolled her eyes, got up and practically dragged the Asari to the bench and sat her down. Some of the others laughed while someone placed their tray in front of her.

"Eat up," he said while he went to get another.

"I feel soo…." She muttered before Garrus spoke up.

"Alien?" he finished which she nodded. "Well don't worry, you'll get used to it,"

"Yeah, but you get used to aliens if you work with demi-humans all the time," Joker said earning himself a slap from Shepard who sat down with her own tray.

Liara just stared at the amount of food on the tray. "Do you have enough there?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yep, I may not have biotics, but I do have a hyperactive metabolism," she said as she ripped into a large chunk of meat.

"For better milk production," Kadian joked.

"Kadain," Zenna said getting his attention. "Fetch," she said as she threw a bone over the table.

Unable to resist his wolf DNA, Kadian jumped and grabbed the bone in his mouth. As he landed, he began to lick it before standing in fury looking at the commander who began to laugh along with others. Liara smiled and looked at her food before tucking in.