Mass Effect - A Hero Rises Ch. 17

What she said next was a surprise though.

"You should be intimate with Shiala tomorrow night."

"What?"

"Shepard, you do realise how she feels about you, right?" I nodded. "Well, you should be with her. I won't be jealous. I already know you've been with many others. I understand you don't do exclusivity."

"You're okay with that?"

"Of course, otherwise I wouldn't be here right now. While I would like romance, a large part of me just wanted to be fucked by Commander Shepard. If it can happen again, I certainly wouldn't say no."

"Neither would I."

"Good, but you should also be with Shiala. She definitely misses you in an intimate setting. It was part of the reason we ended up together. We both wanted you, couldn't have you, so found something with each other to sate our appetites until we could."

"What led you to my door tonight then?"

"Using the human term, I had to grab the bull by the horns. Once I walked in here, I had to take a moment as my courage failed me, but when you turned to look at me, you seemed to realise what I was here for. That gave me renewed confidence to see it through."

"Well, I'm glad you did. Come to my bedroom, that is. There is one thing, though..."

"Oh... What is it?"

"Benezia wants to... you know... what we just did."

That made her chuckle. "That comes as no surprise, Shepard. I've realised for a while now that she's been attracted. If you wish to be with her too, I can certainly understand and certainly wouldn't presume to tell you who you can and can't be with."

"You'll be fine with me being with her?"

I felt her shrug. "Sure. We're not in a relationship, Shepard. You're free to fuck who you want." I felt her look in my direction, glancing to meet her eyes. "Just don't ask for any sort of mother daughter threesome or something. I love my mother but I won't be doing anything like that."

Walking out into the mess together the next morning, I was surprised at the lack of any reaction. Well, that's a slight lie, watching Garrus hand Wrex a couple of credit chits, so I guess there was at least a bet or two. But Ashley nor Tali appeared jealous, while Benezia seemed to smile approvingly more than anything.

Figuring there was no point beating around the bush, I waited until the end of breakfast before speaking to Shiala, immediately inviting her to my room that evening. While surprised, there's no doubt she was excited at the prospect, whispering a few rather rude things into my ear that had me thinking and perhaps even a little distracted most of the day.

Still, there was work to do, continuing our investigations into what we would find on Ilos, while the rest of my team focused on their day jobs. The crew was still as excited as ever about having escaped the Citadel, and while I thought about it and didn't think we were being mutinous, I'm sure I would have a few questions to answer once we returned to the Citadel victorious.

Shiala wasted no time turning up in my quarters that night. From the time she closed the door to dragging me from my chair, she was already naked and it took all of thirty seconds for me to be naked, on my back, with her straddling my lap, cock already inside her. We fucked all night, that's the easiest way to put it. I almost apologised for having ended our brief liaison but she just told me to shut up and enjoy the night together. So that's what we did. No idea how long we fucked but the only reason we stopped is I'd enjoyed more orgasms than I could remember, and there does come a time that my cock just wouldn't get hard again.

"Well, I think we got what we wanted out of our systems," she murmured, spooned against me after we'd taken the required shower.

"Liara did suggest..."

"I understand why you stopped but... Well, I assume Liara told you about us."

"She did."

"We're old friends and enjoying sex is just that, a physical release. We're not in love or anything, but it's still a lot of fun making each other cum." She did turn back for a moment. "You can have us together, if you want."

"Would she be okay with that?" Shiala just laughed, so that answer my question. "One thing you should know..."

"Benezia," she stated somewhat bluntly, "Liara told me already. I don't care who else you fuck, Shepard. Just don't need to hear the details. As long as this happens again."

I kissed her cheek and assured her it would.

Walking out into the mess the next morning, Liara met our eyes and simply smiled, while I think Benezia was slightly surprised I fucked her daughter one night then Shiala the very next. Garrus handed Wrex more credit chits, while Ashley asked bluntly, "When's my turn, Shepard?" I could only chuckle as a few of the crew had a laugh amongst themselves at the same time.

"Depends on how much longer it takes to get to Ilos," I replied once I was sat down.

"Oh, and why not tonight?" she asked, her tone all sweet and nice.

"I have plans."

"With who?"

"Someone else."

Liara and Shiala already knew. I figured it might not take her too long to figure out who. It couldn't be Tali, not without preparation. While Chakwas was perhaps interested, we remained platonic friends only, and perhaps for the best. The regular crew women were almost far too in awe of my presence to even think about approaching me for anything. Sure, there were one or two rather attractive women around but I certainly wouldn't want to do anything untoward, and believed they'd still consider it fraternisation anyway. At least Ashley had moved past that now, thinking I was a Spectre of the Council rather than a Commander of the Alliance Navy.

Chatting with Joker later than day while at the galaxy map, he checked the route and we guess that Ilos was perhaps only one night, maybe two more nights away. That was good news, at least, as all of us were eager to get off the ship and find Saren. Hopefully he was still on Ilos and we could finally catch the bastard. I knew we'd probably have to kill him as he wouldn't allow himself to be caught. Wrex, Ashley and Garrus wanted to kill him with no thoughts of capture. Liara and Shiala preferred capture if possible, simply to interrogate him for information. I wasn't sure what Benezia wanted, perhaps not trusting herself around him. Tali didn't really have an opinion.

I let the crew know that night what Joker and I had discussed. There was relief that our objective was closer than anticipated, amazed we hadn't attracted the attention of the numerous pirate bands that infected the Terminus Systems. Then again, we were probably flying through certain systems that had probably been uninhabited for centuries, if not since the last Reaper invasion. I wasn't going to complain, though. Even the slightest delay on our journey to Ilos could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

After dinner, I headed to my office for some more busywork. I was hoping to hear from Anderson, but there was radio silence from the Citadel. I received a short message from Admiral Hackett, no doubt aware of what happened. He simply wished us good hunting, so it was nice to hear that at least part of the Alliance Navy was on board with what I was doing. After an hour or so, I messaged Benezia, inviting her to my room for a drink.

She appeared a few minutes later, dressed in a rather figure hugging black dress, that flowed to the floor. She seemed to be barefoot, at least, standing shorter than normal, making little noise as she approached the empty chair opposite me. Opening the small fridge, she smiled at the bottle of wine I offered her. "Well, you do have some taste it seems, Shepard."

"I'm actually not much of a drinker. Shiala and Liara didn't seem all that interested in sharing a glass or two before joining me in bed. I figured..."

Handing her the glass, she simply smiled as I poured her a glass before doing the same for myself. "What should we toast, Shepard?"

"I can think of a few things but what do you hope for, Benezia?"

She looked away for a moment before returning her eyes to mine. "Redemption, Shepard. And forgiveness."

Benezia may never have been with a human before but she was probably the greatest lover I'd had in my life up until then. I guess when you have centuries of experience, it may make up for any inexperience you have otherwise regarding certain things. All I know is that she was eager, very eager, to enjoy my cock in more ways than one. She was practically insistent that she blow me, and the sight of her on her knees, my cock buried in her mouth, her eyes wide with lust and desire, was something I simply didn't expected. She wasn't sure about swallowing but was happy enough for me to blast on her face, then asked me to take a photo. Asking why, she told me not to worry for now.

After we'd cleaned her face, I made sure to return the favour, and it's always nice to receive a compliment from an asari of advanced age at how talented you are with your tongue and fingers. She was certainly turned on and eager to cum, but we both enjoyed the fact I teased her relentlessly. Once I made her cum the first time, though, her next orgasms were like a crescendo, arriving again and again rather quickly. I thought I'd wear her out doing that, but she just begged me to keep going before she asked to stop, though only so I could slide my cock inside her.

I fucked Liara. I fucked Shiala. And I definitely fucked Benezia. I don't think I'd ever received more compliments about the size of my cock, how good it felt inside her, how good I was at fucking her, than I did that night. Maybe she was just caught up in the moment, and I could only wax lyrical at how tight and wet she was. That actually made her blush the first time I told her. "Shame Liara isn't interested in a mother daughter threesome," I muttered after I came in her the first time.

"Oh, that would interest you?" she wondered, a sly grin on her face.

"Well, you certainly share some similarities. Plus, I think a lot of men share the fantasy. Though I guess it could get a little weird."

"Not if the focus is on you, Shepard."

"Well, let's just file that away as something that might happen in the future."

Having Benezia on her elbows and knees later was something else entirely, particularly as I was leaning over, whispering all sorts of dirty things into her ear as I fucked her. She was loving every second of it, asking herself why she hadn't got herself a human as soon as we appeared. "Maybe I should fuck your arse tonight too," I grunted into her ear.

"That's virgin territory," she moaned back.

"No-one has been there? Waste of a fantastic arse, Benezia."

"Play your cards right, Shepard, and you can definitely have it too."

She proved rather flexible, eager to please, and very open minded that evening. She didn't quite wear me out as much as Shiala, who had proven insatiable from the moment she walked into my bedroom to the moment we fell asleep, but there was no doubt Benezia was definitely make up for any lost time, admitting she'd been attracted to me very early on but had obviously been unsure as to my reaction. Lying against me as she admitted that, I simply made her cum with my fingers as I whispered into her ear, assuring her I had found her beautiful from the same moment.

I thought the reaction would have been far more negative than it was when we walked out together the next morning, Benezia making me chuckle by wearing one of my shirts, long enough to cover her arse, walking out with bare legs and feet. She definitely seemed like a new woman, asari, whatever, enough that Liara had to make a comment. "I've never see you look so... carefree, mother."

Taking a seat opposite her daughter, Benezia simply smiled. "I am now free, Liara. My life as I knew it before Saren is likely at an end. Perhaps I will spend more time in human space." She looked around the room. "You certainly are very different to us in many ways."

"How well did you fuck her last night, Shepard?" Ashley joked.

I just smiled and carried on eating breakfast. The immediate change in Benezia was profound though perhaps not surprising. Having spent a long time on the Normandy by now, most of the crew had warmed to her, at least a little bit. The fact her relationship with Liara was now better also helped. Shiala was a lost cause but I think Benezia understood why and didn't pursue the matter.

Any idea that I'd enjoy another night with someone else, or perhaps that threesome Shiala suggested, ended when Joker informed me later that morning the Normandy was making better progress than expected, and that the Mu Relay would be reached within that day. Now was the time for the crew to prepare for what would be perhaps the hardest so far.

It was late afternoon as we made our approach to Ilos. Joker had got us through the relay itself when I was summoned to the bridge. The CIC was calm as I walked through, receiving more than one salute as I strode forward. Pressly handed me a datapad with what we knew about Ilos as I stood behind Joker. "We've got company, Commander."

"Geth?" He nodded. "They noticed us yet?"

"Stealth systems are engaged. Unless we get close enough for a visual, they won't have any idea we're here."

"Got something else, Commander," Pressly reported, "Picking up some strange readings from the planet's surface."

"Very well. Joker, take us down. Lock in on the coordinates."

Pressly shook his head. "Negative on that, Commander. The nearest landing zone is two clicks away."

There were instant murmurs of dissatisfaction. "We'll never make it on time by foot," Ashley stated, "Get us something closer!"

"There is nowhere closer!" Pressly retorted, "I've looked!"

"Drop us in the Mako," I suggested.

"You need at least a hundred metres of open terrain to pull off a drop like that. The most I can find near Saren is twenty!"

The CIC and cockpit descended into chaos and arguments as everyone discussed the pros and cons of such a move. I already knew the response but simply thought about the chances. I figured landing two clicks away, while the safer option, would lead us exposed if an army of geth now sat on Ilos. We needed to land as close as possible. I whistled for silence, everyone going quiet immediately. "Joker?"

He knew what I was asking. "I can do it, Commander."

Turning back, I ordered everyone downstairs to prepare and board the Mako, ordering Joker to drop us right on the head of that turian bastard. That made him chuckle, assuring me he'd do his best to comply with that order.

I would be taking the entire team along this time, no-one being left behind as I was going to need everyone to assist to take down Saren and all his geth. I'd even considered Benezia, having a brief chat with her before boarding the Mako. She was honest enough to not trust herself near Saren but offered to help out on the Normandy. Pressly didn't mind, though wasn't sure what she could so. She simply wished me luck, giving me a rather nice kiss, before I joined the rest. It was enough for even Liara to joke about it as we waited for the signal to drop.

Joker earned himself a medal as he dropped us on a pinhead, leaving me just enough space to engage the brakes and stop of smashing into a stone wall. And we missed by Saren by only moments. The bastard managed to lock the massive stone door, so that meant getting out on foot.

The geth were waiting, no doubt hoping to ambush us. With all the talent I now had at my disposal, all the tricks we'd learned, we may not have had numbers, but we definitely had power. Liara and Shiala mixed up their biotics. Wrex was a battering ram, I think trying to outdo me. Tali caused havoc with her tech attacks. Ashley and I simply pulled the geth into chokepoints before laying waste. Garrus disappeared and was soon picking off geth at will.

The geth had regular troops, those armed with rocket launchers, the sneaky bastards that could snipe us from distance, the quick, leaping around bastards, and also a few Armatures. Tali was magnificent during all of this, particularly when she could hack them in such a way that the geth started fighting each other. The place where we had landed was a maze, and Liara talked to herself about this being such a treasure trove and wanting to return. I thought that was a bloody good idea.

We ended up running into all manner of geth 'monsters' as I liked to call them. Those big fuckers that took longer to take down. There were the Primes and Juggernauts we'd seen more than once, and a few Destroyers as well. They waited at particular points, knowing we'd be heading that way to chase down Saren. Tali managed to hack and turn some Armatures against them, though we couldn't use them for long before they turned against us.

All of us took a lick or two during all of this. Wrex needed medi-gel more than once on a couple of particularly nasty wounds. That just pissed him off even more than he already was. Ashley almost had her head taken clean off by a rocket, saved only by quick thinking from Shiala. Tali suffered a suit breach, that required us to stop for a few minutes while she cleaned and sealed the wound before doing the same to her suit. She assured me that she'd be fine the rest of the battle but she'd need to see Chakwas in the end. Even I was left scratched by one or two explosions too close for comfort.

I found a hologram that sent a chill down my spine. A final warning from the Reapers. No-one else could understand it except Shiala, noticing she turned a paler shade of blue at the voice. It was garbled, no doubt damaged by the geth, but the warning was clear. Even I felt a shudder at the final words. 'Cannot be stopped'. But the rest was simply too damaged to really understand.

Heading back to the Mako, the way ahead was now open, all of us boarding up and heading into the bunker. What we found was simply astounding. The bunker built was the likely last refuge of the Protheans, or that's what Liara surmised. She also figured out that many of the things on the walls around us were stasis pods. All of them appeared inactive, or that's what our sensors told us.

A few geth also waited inside the bunker, taking out those with rockets from a distance, running over any others who were stupid enough to get in the way. I drove on until we reached a barrier, and Liara figured out quickly that it probably wasn't one left behind by Saren.

Clambering out of the Mako, we found a doorway that led us towards another elevator, descending until we ended up on a platform, surrounded by more inactive stasis pods but also vegetation that had grown during the intervening fifty thousand years. And it's also where we found a working Prothean VI, introducing itself as Vigil.

To say Liara was excited was an understatement. But the information Vigil provided made for grim listening. Saren had been through recently and Vigil confirmed the indoctrination theory. Vigil also confirmed the Reaper hypothesis and many other theories Liara and others had been working on. The Citadel was the heart of galactic civilisation for a reason. It was a trap, an enormous mass relay that linked to dark space, and it was through there that the Reapers would arrive. The way it all worked was that the Keepers dotted around the Citadel were 'agents' of the Reapers, keeping it running, allowing us to use the Citadel without discovering its major secrets.

Liara did ask plenty of questions regarding Prothean civilisation and Reaper motivations, and while Vigil could provide the answers, one of his last replies spoke volumes. "In the end, what does any of this matter? Your survival depends on stopping them, not in understanding them."

Good enough for me, far as I was concerned. "How do I stop them?" I asked.

"The Conduit is the key. Before the Reapers attacked, we Protheans were on the cusp of unlocking the mysteries behind mass relay technology. Ilos was a top secret facility. Here, researchers worked to create a small scale version of a mass relay. One that linked directly to the Citadel: the hub of the relay network."