Mass Effect - A Hero Rises Ch. 19

Through it all, she stayed single. Sure, asari, humans and turians showed an interest, but in the back of her mind, she believed Shepard would return one day, and when he did, well... The thought of what they might do certainly made her blush when she thought about it. She missed him every day, and the only thing that got her through was the belief that perhaps, just perhaps, Cerberus could deliver on their promise and return him alive.

Until that day, she had work to do. The Shadow Broker was out there, and he had made an enemy out of Liara T'Soni.

*****

Matriarch Benezia

Benezia would admit she was glad the Asari Republics no longer carried out capital punishment. But, still, being exiled from asari space was embarrassing. Well, it would have been had she not accepted the punishment without question. At least everything taken from her had been given to her daughter, Liara. Benezia may have been called a traitor, not only to her own kind but every Council species, but at least none of it would rub off on her daughter, or at least she hoped it would in the long run.

With only a few possessions and no acolytes, she had little idea of what to do with her life. For centuries, she'd cultivated a following on Thessia. She'd had hundreds of asari devoted to her cause. When she'd approached Saren, hoping to turn him away from his foolhardy plan, she hadn't believed she'd so easily fall into his clutches. So many of her acolytes had fallen victim to him... It was all her own fault.

She had expected to be arrested by the Council or the Alliance after the Normandy had been destroyed. The Alliance wanted nothing to do with her, while the Council made it clear that, although she had somewhat assisted Shepard, she had still be an ally of Saren for a period of time. Returning to Thessia had always been her plan, and the reception she received was as she expected. Arrest. Incarceration. Interrogation. Trial. Judgement.

Exile.

She wasn't going to join her daughter. She was doing whatever she wanted with her life. Benezia certainly wasn't going to stand in her way. Shiala had also headed off to do her own thing. With Shepard now dead, the Council swung around, eventually denying the existence of the Reapers. She knew the horrible truth but knew she couldn't speak openly about it. No-one would believe her. No-one would probably listen to her. Again, it was all her own fault.

But she needed to do something. She needed to help. She felt guilty about the lives ruined, the lives taken. Though exiled from asari space, she had not been banned from travelling the rest of Council space. She remembered Shepard being fond of a Captain Anderson, so she sent him a message, asking to meet on the Citadel. The man was clearly sceptical but agreed to a meeting.

She managed to arrive on a passenger ship incognito, though she was sure the C-Sec guards recognised her at once, but they let her pass without too many questions. Heading to the Wards, she found the human waiting for her in a coffee shop. She despised the drink the humans loved and had introduced to the galaxy, though had grown to enjoy tea, similar to beverages found on asari worlds.

Sitting across from the dark-skinned human, she briefly explained her predicament. To her surprise, he appeared at least a little understanding. "I didn't think you'd care," she admitted.

"To be honest, I don't." Her face no doubt spoke volumes as he smiled. "Just being honest. But Shepard had good things to say despite some of the things you were responsible for, and if Shepard had good things to say, then he must have thought you were worth helping. So I'll help you because it's what he would have wanted."

"You miss him?" she asked, her voice soft. She missed him too.

"Every day, Lady Benezia. And what the Council..." He stopped abruptly, obviously not wanting to share his own thoughts with her. "Anyway, I'm aware that you're an exile from your own space and the Council don't particularly want your presence on the Citadel. So what do you want?"

"I want to help. Make right some of the wrongs."

"Are you still indoctrinated?"

She nodded. "I still hear the voices from time to time. It's a constant battle. But that part of my mind I kept free has fought against it, and with each passing day, the whispers grow quieter. I am regaining control of my thoughts and subsequently my actions."

"None of us really know much about indoctrination. Do you know anything?"

She shook her head. "No, and nor did Saren. He insisted the entire time he was not indoctrinated though it was blatantly obvious he was."

"I would suggest tests but..."

"I would be hesitant regarding meddling with anything to do with the Reapers, Captain."

He nodded. "Okay. So, you want to help, right the wrongs, as you said. Where would you like to go?"

She gave it a few seconds thought. "Eden Prime." She noticed the raised eyebrows. "That is where this all began, is it not? I have read the colony was nearly destroyed. I wish to help rebuild it."

"You're sure about this?"

"It's perhaps best if I return incognito."

"Give me a few hours and I can certainly provide a different identity." He looked her up and down. "And you'll probably need to change your clothes. You'll stand out anyway because you're asari, but if you at least dress like a colonist, you might fit in a little better." He paused again, before smirking. "Long way from being an all-powerful matriarch, Lady Benezia."

"My fate is deserved, Captain. I have lived with centuries of privilege. Guess it's just time I got my hands dirty, at least for a little while. Do you mind if I at least let my daughter know?"

"I don't see that being a problem. We'll organise a place for you to stay until your departure."

"If it's comfortable, I'll just remain there until then. My face is too well-known now."

Three days later, under an assumed identity, wearing clothes she would never have considered beforehand, with only a duffel bag full of similar clothing, and one or two things for comfort, she boarded a shuttle heading to the human colony world of Eden Prime. The local Alliance garrison knew she was coming and were prepared for her arrival.

Being an asari did have some advantages. They were incredibly friendly though surprised she had headed there to help. After time to settle in, nothing more than a simple pre-fab, she was shown around the colony and couldn't help but feel guilty at the destruction. Her guides explained the destruction that took place, the number of deaths, but they also regaled her with the story of Shepard. She felt the corners of her mouth twitch at how they spoke of the man.

Life was certainly different on Eden Prime compared to Thessia. But after all that had happened, Matriarch Benezia knew she had to do the right thing.

*****

Shiala

After the destruction of the Normandy, Shiala was one of those who did have a plan for what would happen after the mission was completed. Sure, she'd never planned for her life to change so suddenly. Like nearly everyone else who'd fought along his side against Saren, she had remained on the ship even after the destruction of Sovereign, though Shepard knew of her promise to eventually return to Feros. With thanks for the assistance but it was no longer required, she said her goodbyes to her colleagues on the Citadel and, with a little money as a gift from Benezia and Liara, she bought a used ship and headed to Feros.

By the time she arrived back on the planet, news of Shepard's loss had even made it there. Everyone remembered her, at least, or at they remembered her promise, glad for the additional help though most did admit surprise she had returned at all.

Her contacts with humans as an acolyte for Lady Benezia had been few. She had seen and dealt with more salarians and turians over the years. Now surrounded by humans as the only asari on the colony, she thought they'd be suspicious of her, particularly how she had ended up there in the first place. But they proved nothing but welcoming, making sure deliveries of food included some asari delicacies, and made sure she had enough reminders of home in her small room in one of the many pre-fabs.

After settling in, she sat down with the colony leaders. Their request wasn't a surprise. "We'd like you to be in charge of security," Fai Dan requested, "You are or were an asari commando, correct?" She nodded. "To be honest, those of us left here are not fighters. Even the security guards can admit they were out-matched by geth."

"I'm only one asari."

"We've read about asari commando's," Lisbeth retorted gently, "One of you is worth ten soldiers."

"I can also help otherwise."

"Of course," Fai Dan stated with a smile, "But we need protection too."

"We'll need more than just boots on the ground. We'll need air defences."

The humans around her shared glances. "Not sure how we can afford that."

That made her smile. "Oh, I'm sure I can call in at least a few favours."

Those favours led to another four asari commandos arriving within three months, and a mysterious benefactor ensuring the colony was well supplied with provisions, in addition to defensive weapons, including rocket and machine gun turrets, while the Alliance also helped place orbital defences. That left the rest asking if Shiala had friends in high places. She could only shrug, admitting she'd only asked Liara for help, not exactly aware of what Liara was trying to achieve as their communication was limited.

But that wasn't the amazing discovery made. It took time for it to develop, but one day as she was on routine patrol, she swore that she started to... feel, if not even hear what others were thinking. A pair of humans near a power conduit were discussing the needs of the colony, and in addition to their voices, she could almost hear what they were thinking. She passed another couple of humans on patrol, both smiling at her, and while they didn't talk, she could hear what they were thinking, or so she thought. Part of her thought that maybe she was cracking up.

That wasn't all, though. She had noticed a slight discolouration of her pigment. She had one been a healthy bluish-purple. But after a few months back at the colony, she started to notice her skin start to turn... green. She knew why immediately. It had to be the contact with the Thorian. And that no doubt explained why she could hear other people's thoughts.

She sat down with Fai Dan and he smiled as she explained. "You're not the only one, Shiala. We just wondered if you were going to experience what we all have."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"We wanted it to happen naturally, if it happened at all. But don't you feel... connected to all of us now?"

Shiala would admit she did. Her asari colleagues were not present during the raid to capture or at least meld with the Thorian. But the spores had clearly infected those who had remained in the colony, and she now felt connected to the rest. It was an unusual feeling. In some ways similar to melding, but that was through a conscious decision. She could hear any thoughts around her simply through the shared connection.

Life fell into some sort of routine surprisingly quickly but it wasn't long before she noticed small problems start to arise. Not around the colony. She was told that was soon even better than what it was before the geth attacked. No, it was the fact the colonists started to suffer medical problems, no doubt to do with exposure to the Thorian. After a few months, they were left with no option but to seek help from outside the colony. The only place she could think of to help was Illium, as it was the closest major world.

That would prove to be a mistake that could cost them all.

*****

Emily Wong

She liked to consider herself the consummate professional, but after Shepard left to go hunt down geth, more than once she would find herself smiling away without realising, remembering the last few days they had spent together. Well, not days. He was far too busy for that, but they managed to snatch an hour or two together, and even an evening at least once. Emily Wong wasn't stupid. She knew there were others, but for him, she was willing to put up with it for now.

Hard at work as always, she didn't even hear the breaking news announcement until her manager placed a datapad in front of her without a word. She picked it up and felt ice down her spine as she read the words. She was a professional though, and immediately rose to her feet. "Sources?" she asked.

"Straight from the Alliance, Emily. The attack happened three days ago. The survivors are being transported here."

"When do they arrive?"

"Within the hour. I've used up plenty of favours to get the information for you. I know..."

"That's personal, Chief. But this is..." She now met his eyes and her face must have reflected a million emotions. "Is this reliable?" He nodded with a sag of his shoulders. "Are they sure he wasn't on one of the pods?"

"I have the list of names, Emily. His isn't listed."

She couldn't help sigh. But she wasn't going to burst into tears in front of her colleagues. "You should head down to the docks. D-29. That's where the ship will arrive with the survivors. Guess you'll want to head down..." She nodded. "I have one other favour, if you're up to it?"

"Name it."

"Would you feel comfortable... writing his obituary? You knew him better than nearly anyone, particularly on the Citadel."

"I will but I won't go into personal..."

He held up a hand. "Wouldn't ask you to."

"I'll get started once I'm back from the docks."

She grabbed her coat, handbag and portable terminal before heading out of the office, hailing a cab and directing it towards the docks. She stared out the window, sucking in a few deep breaths, almost wishing the news was wrong. He couldn't really be dead. Not after having taken down a Reaper and survived the Geth War.

The docks were packed with reporters from nearly every species jostling for position. She noticed a few rivals hanging around, some with cameras ready to interview. She had a voice recorder but, being honest with herself, she was there for purely selfish reasons.

The ship docked three-quarters of an hour later. Alliance brass had arrived by then, quickly ushering most of the survivors off and past the assembled journalists, everyone yelling out plenty of questions about what happened. Emily remained silent, meeting the eyes of a few. One she knew at least better than most, remembering her name as Ashley. The brunette noticed her standing within the crowd, whispering something to the soldier escorting her. Before she knew it, the marine walked over and pulled her into a hug, Emily sensing camera's now focusing on her.

"I'm sorry," Ashley whispered.

Emily closed her eyes and nodded without saying a word, simply closing the embrace. It was true...

"Ma'am..."

"Give me a few minutes, will you?" Ashley replied, rather harshly. The soldier escorting her, no doubt taken aback, nodded his agreement as Ashley turned back to her. "I'll talk to you later, Emily. Off the record. I don't want..." She glanced around, jaw firming. "Vultures, the lot of them."

"Including me?"

"Shepard liked you, Emily. No, he didn't think that."

Emily wiped her eyes. "I'd ask what happened but..."

"Later. Trust me, there are a lot of unhappy people. Not only about losing Shepard, but the entire mission was bullshit." Ashley sighed. "But I'd better shut up before I get in trouble." She hugged her again. "I'll keep in touch, okay?" Emily nodded again before the marine let her go and headed off quickly with the others. She recognised a few of them, some looking her way and nodding, at least.

She received a few questions in her direction but waved people away, quickly escaping into a nearby cab. Not wanting to return to the office, she headed back to her apartment, leaning back against the door once it was closed and locked, sinking to the ground and that's when the emotion hit her. She ignored the beep of her omni-tool and the constant ding of her portable workstation. The only thing she did was drag herself to bed, where she mixed sleeping with crying in the darkness.

Still feeling awful the next day, she contacted her boss and told him she'd have something written by the end of the day. It was the hardest piece she'd ever written in her life, trying hard to keep it entirely objective. One or two personal feelings no doubt crept in the longer she typed, but she certainly didn't let anyone know the fact she... loved him. She stopped typing when that emotion rolled through her body, but she managed to blink away the tears, keeping her mind focused on the task at hand. As promised, she had the piece written and sent off by the close of play, receiving a warm response from the editor for an emotional yet thought provoking piece. It would be the lead story the next morning.

Over the next few weeks, she kept an eye on the news outlets, particularly in regards to either Shepard, the Alliance or the Council. What happened incensed her. His name was practically dragged through the mud. Everything he had discovered considered a delusion, the Reaper, Sovereign, claimed to be a geth ship. Emily knew bullshit when she heard it. The Alliance proved nothing to be a disappointment, almost disavowing the first human Spectre.

Emily knew it wasn't the geth that killed Shepard, as much as it wasn't the geth that led the attack on the Citadel. After a meeting with her editor, who simply warned her to be careful but giving her leeway to pursue what she wanted, she opened her list of contacts and got to work. She would ensure Shepard and his warnings would not be forgotten.

*****

Gianna Parasini

"I quit."

Her boss looked up in surprise. "What?"

"I quit. I want out of here. I want off Noveria. I've had enough. I quit."

"But... You can't! You're my best case officer. What you did regarding Anoleis will lead to a promotion soon enough."

She shook her head. "I don't care. I don't want to remain on this planet one minute longer."

Her boss leaned back, stroking his bear for a moment. "This is about Shepard." She opened her mouth to retort but words failed her. "Word spread, Gianna. Everyone is aware you were intimate."

"It was more than that," she whispered. She looked up and noticed the surprised look returned. She almost smiled. "I loved him."

"Oh...."

"And now I'm just left with reminders wherever I go, whether at home, at the office, or just walking along the street. And I just can't do this job anymore. It's time for a fresh start somewhere."

"Where will you go?"

She shrugged, almost helpless. She hadn't thought that far ahead. "I don't know. Maybe I'll head back to Earth. See what opportunities are there. Look, I'm sorry if this leaves you in the lurch. I'll see out the cooling off period then..."

"Sure you won't change your mind?"

She shook her head again. "No. I'd leave tomorrow if I could, but I'll make sure everything is tied off before I go."

"Damn shame to lose you, Gianna."

She returned a weak smile before she turned and headed back to her office, where she sat staring at her screen, no doubt a blank look in her eyes, before someone wandered in to give her a heads up on what was going on otherwise.

A month later, she finished her last day and headed back to her apartment, where nearly everything was packed up. She had no idea what she was going to do regarding work, but figured heading back to Earth to see her family would be nice, at least.

Time on Earth helped clear her mind. Her parents figured out quickly that she was grieving, and were surprised when she told them the truth. Sitting down with them made everything tumble out, and that's when the tears really started to fall, admitting she was in love with him completely, and sure that he'd felt the same way about her. She could never thank her parents enough for the consoling they gave her over the next couple of weeks, helping mend her broken heart, at least a little bit.