Mass Effect - a Hero Rises

Book 3, Chapter 7 - The Dig

*****

"Benezia," Liara muttered.

"When did you last see her?"

Liara leaned back in her chair, giving it some thought. "Probably eighteen months. We do keep in touch but there's a reason I keep my distance. Our own people consider her persona non grata. I think some matriarchs are softening, or at least were. She was happy on Eden Prime though. Markedly different lifestyle but she was thriving."

"She send you any information in addition to what we already have?"

"Yes. Mostly the same as what we have. Definitely Cerberus involvement. They've dug something up that has them excited. Something Prothean but she's not sure what it is. Can't get close enough. Alliance left a token protection force, but Cerberus arrived in numbers."

"If she can meet us, perhaps help us contact any resistance?"

"Will it be awkward?"

"No. I just hope she's okay and the Reapers are not affecting her."

"She says they aren't. I believe her."

"Has Miranda settled in?"

"Sharing that office is going to be... distracting." Liara grinned. "Particularly with that bed she put behind me."

"At least you can just fuck one of us nearby instead of needing to always go upstairs."

"We're at war yet this is starting to sound like a pleasure cruise."

"We'll be professional when required. But we're all going to need to let off steam. Sex is probably the best thing to do that. Trust me, if you're not available, I'll be choosing one of your other lovers."

"I'll be too exhausted at times. This is going to be a grind, Liara. And it's just beginning."

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, covering my hand with one of hers. "We're going to win, Shepard. Because you will lead us." I met her eyes to see nothing but conviction returned. "Saved us twice. Two for two, Shepard. I have faith you'll be three for three by the end of this." We were alone in the mess as I was just waiting for Joker to report our approach to the final relay that would lead us to Eden Prime. Liara stood up and turned towards her office, though she turned back one last time. "Shepard, would you want to fuck my mother again?"

I laughed out loud. I couldn't help it. "If she offered, probably."

"Okay. Just wondering. Every time I hear from her, she does ask about you."

"What do you tell her?"

"Apart from saving the galaxy, you're busy getting laid. Constantly. She's not surprised by that. Reckon she'll definitely want to get laid if we meet up."

"Good reason to visit Eden Prime then."

She threw a tea-towel at me before turning back into her office. I finished my coffee before poking my head through the door of the med-bay, making sure Chakwas was okay. She turned and smiled, suggesting it was just like old times and it was much better being back in the colours of the Alliance. Couldn't have agreed more. Garrus was busy working on the front cannons as always, though I could see he was a little distracted. Didn't take him much to admit he'd met up with Chloe while we were on the Citadel and realised how much he'd missed her.

"I could always invite her aboard. I'm sure Chakwas would love the company."

"I'll message her, Shepard. I could use the distraction, to be honest."

I stepped towards him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Palaven?" He nodded. "Bad?"

"Just seeing my homeworld burn, Shepard. Every time I close my eyes." He sighed. "Here I am, wearing my heart on my sleeve again."

"You ever need to chew the fat." He glanced at me, clearly not understanding the idiom. "Talk. I've got all my girls to get me through this, but I'm always here if you need a chat and a beer."

"Thanks, Shepard. Was in here by myself, just thinking about everything. Probably not a good idea to wallow in solitude for too long."

"We'll be at Eden Prime tomorrow. We'll get off the ship, shoot some bad guys, save the fucking day."

That made my friend laugh. "Thanks, Shepard."

"No worries. Don't get too lonely in here. Chat with Vega from time to time. Think you'll like him. Talks a lot of shit. Liara is just around the corner. And Victus too. He's a good man."

"He is. The pressure on his shoulders is immense. Don't know who has it worse, you or him."

"Everyone on this ship knows the score. We know the truth. The rest only know the basics. Fight Reapers. We know what happens if we fail."

Kelly had already noticed the fact I wasn't sleeping through the night. I'd told her that dreams I'd suffered before had returned, and were now even worse. Visions of destruction, what the Protheans had endured. I couldn't make much sense of it, but I had never liked waking in a cold sweat. The night before Eden Prime, we'd made love before settling down to sleep. I woke up within a few hours, managing to move without waking her up. Made myself a strong coffee and simply got back to work.

It was morning, ship-time, when she stirred, hearing her alarm start to play a popular tune. She must have turned as I heard the disappointed noise she made, appeared around the corner a few seconds later without any clothing on. Sitting herself up on the desk, she leaned down to kiss me. Pushing my seat back, she shifted herself so she sat on my lap, a leg to either side of me.

"You love it when I'm naked and you're clothed," she giggled.

"Of course. You're fucking fit, Miss Chambers. But although I do love you naked, lingerie, short skirt, tight shirt... I can think of quite a few things I like you in."

"Want me to start wearing the uniform, but a short skirt and perhaps unbuttoned to show off a little cleavage?"

"Now you're just teasing."

"Please, I've already noticed Miranda showing off enough cleavage a blind man would notice."

"She's happy being back aboard the ship."

"And with you, Shepard. She was denying how she felt when she was messing with Jacob. Add to that, I don't think she liked the idea of sharing at the time. Now she sees how it all works with us."

"You seemed to be enjoying each other quite a bit the other night."

"She knows what she's doing, that's for sure."

I hugged her close for a few minutes before I yawned, lifted her up so I could undress, and we wandered in for a shower. No funny business, just a wash, clean the teeth and other necessities in the morning. Everyone was downstairs for breakfast as usual. I was keeping Victus in the loop regarding the summit. It was taking far too long to organise for my liking. Liara had gone to speak to Tevos and was stonewalled. The salarians were taking their time.

Joker called in we entered the system not long after we finished, and from the relay, it was a virtual hop, skip and jump to orbit of Eden Prime. With Miranda back on the ship, I had another member of the ground team. Garrus, EDI, Liara and Miranda would be the front unit, Vega and his marines would secure as we moved forward.

There was no minute for a last minute pep-talk before hitting the ground. Just the usual rules of engagement. "Anyone wearing that emblem dies. Miranda, officers wear particular uniforms?"

"Correct, Commodore." I glanced at her. "We're on mission, sir."

I nodded my appreciation. "Okay, so if we can take a prisoner or two, officer rank, we will."

"The only problem is that they won't be taken easily. Each Cerberus officer is given a cyanide capsule. Many retain it inside a false tooth in their mouths so it can be taken quickly if captured."

"Did you ever have that?" Garrus asked.

"I was given it. I threw it out. I was devoted, not a fanatic."

"Okay. So the mission parameters are as follows. We capture whatever has Cerberus so interested. Anyone in that uniform is put down. We capture a prisoner if possible, but I'm honestly not bothered if we do or not. We minimise civilian casualties. And, most importantly, we all return to this ship alive." I looked around the group. "Suit up, grab your gear, board the shuttle. Cortez will fly us into the LZ."

Joker had the ship in orbit by the time we packed onto the shuttle, Cortez not wasting any time getting us out of the shuttle bay into the atmosphere of Eden Prime, on our way to the landing area. "Liara, while we're on the ground, see if you can get in touch with Benezia. Is she in the region?"

"I sent her a message last night. As soon as Cerberus arrived, the resistance movement headed in this direction. She will likely let us handle the situation before making contact."

"Good."

"She's helping lead. Most of the Alliance soldiers have been pulled out. She's basically leading a whole bunch of civilians."

"She's taken command?" Liara nodded. "Well, she's got centuries of experience. Powerful biotic."

The shuttle touched down. I stepped off first as always, checking the LZ was clear before I signalled for everyone to join me. Vega and his marines secured the perimeter before we split into the two teams. Vega's would sweep and clear the buildings. My team would make for the Prothean relic. The concern was that Cerberus had shown no interest our arrival yet.

But while we were alone, it was time to make hay while the sun shone, and our group moved out immediately. We were careful as always, making sure we were not surprised by Cerberus lying in wait, and the last thing I wanted was to be flanked, but Vega kept in constant communication, letting us know that the town we were passing through was empty. A ghost town, Miranda muttered.

Liara recognised a dig site being a trained archaeologist. She got rather excited, which I found very cute and endearing. She noticed the look on my face and started to blush, but then got even more excited when we found the relic. I think she almost collapsed from the excitement but, when she looked at me, she was almost in shock.

"Shepard," she whispered, "I think... I think they've found a Prothean."

"What?" We approached the relic and I understood what she meant. "Ilos," I said, "Those pods in the walls?"

Liara nodded. "This is a stasis pod." She opened her omni-tool, somehow connecting it to the pod, but whatever she did, it worked. "He's alive. By the goddess, he's alive!"

"Can we wake him up?" I asked.

A few more clicks. "Damn it. No, not yet. The pod is damaged. We can't just open it up. He'll probably die. There is a signal somewhere around here that'll allow us to at least open it up."

"Shit, how will he react?" Miranda wondered.

"I have no idea," Liara admitted, "But what I assume with stasis is that, however long he's been asleep, it would have passed in an instant for him. He'll wake up and recognise nothing."

Then Cerberus arrived, shuttles flying over our heads and dropped troops nearby. Didn't have to issue an order, everyone knew their roles and what they were best at. Apart from the standard troops I was already used to seeing, I did notice a couple of different units on the field for the first time. Finding myself in the crosshairs of a red dot wasn't something I liked, taking cover just in time. I shouted at Miranda, asking what the fuck they were, as they seemed to be wearing different armour.

"Nemesis!" she yelled back, "Snipers. Well trained."

"Fantastic," I muttered. Then I stood up and charge, closing the gap in an instant. I didn't collide hard, just enough to force the Nemesis to step back, raising my shotgun and hearing the cry of anguish as I left a gaping hole in their chest.

Two more shuttles flew overhead, depositing more troops onto the ground. Vega and his marines joined the fight, and the enemy was outnumbered and flanked, with little room to move. Whenever they tried to push forward, they died. I took cover next to Liara, mixing up assault rifle fire and biotics, while Liara once again was picking up and flinging the enemy around with a mixture of anger and amusement.

Gunfire finally ceased as the last Cerberus troops hit the ground. We moved out, checked to see if any of them lived, but the blood on the ground, gaping wounds, missing limbs, even a couple of cracking head shots, proved none of them had survived.

"Vega, secure this area while we look for this command console. If Cerberus try and hit this area again, radio in and we'll return."

"Will do, Commodore."

Vega was fortunate as Cerberus tried to stop us finding the command console instead. This time, they landed their troops further away, giving them time to set up defences. Far as I was concerned, that just made it more fun. Liara, Miranda and I worked as a trio. EDI spent most of her time hacking anything she could. Garrus got elevation and the crack of his rifle was heard often enough to no doubt have the enemy concerned.

I ordered the entire area to be swept before we attempted to find any of the required signals. That meant moving street to street, building to building. Cerberus had numbers, but most of them were nothing but fodder. The engineers with gun turrets were a pain in the arse until EDI hacked them, watching with amusement as the turrets swung around to shoot the engineers and any surrounding Cerberus troops before it blew up.

Only when I was sure that there was nothing incoming did we focus on waking up the Prothean. What amused Liara in the end was that the signal actually gave me a view of the downfall of the Prothean civilisation. What I didn't understand was that I could understand the language, though then figured it might have something to do with the beacons I'd had contact with. Perhaps a question I could ask later.

After that, it was about getting the command signal itself to open up the pod safely. We found that in another building, watching another scene, this time of the Prothean going to sleep. I didn't quite understand why I was seeing it, thinking I was seeing this Prothean's life through the eyes of another. Didn't learn his name or anything about him, but I could turn to my colleagues and announce I had all that we needed.

Cerberus must have tapped into something because, as soon as we were finished, we heard Vega call in that shuttles were inbound. EDI hacked into the nearest comm link and even she was concerned. "Half a dozen shuttles inbound, soldiers already on the ground, Shepard," she said.

"Double time back to the pod, people. Fire and move. Leave none of them alive."

"Lieutenant, we are on route to your position. Hold the line," Miranda added.

"Aye, ma'am. We'll hold them off."

Shotgun in hand, I didn't run. I charged. One way, then the other. Every charge ended with a collision and the bark of my shotgun. Didn't care who the enemy was, all that mattered was moving forward. Liara could have performed the same move but she lacked the bulk. But what we had learned is that her flinging something called a 'singularity' and me colliding with it caused one hell of a biotic explosion. The sort that would send any enemies around me flying. My shields would go down for a few seconds, but I'd just form a biotic barrier while they recharged.

It was still a hard slog back to the pod. By the time we arrived, Vega and his marines had fallen back to immediately near the pod, and Cerberus was closing in. Liara flung a singularity that I charged into, causing such a loud detonation, my ears were ringing for a few seconds. But we caught their attention, Vega and his marines moving forward in a pincer movement that trapped Cerberus.

The sound would have been deafening to anyone else. Above the gunfire, you could hear the cries of the wounded and dying. Blood was now the defining feature of the ground around this nameless town. The civilians would likely return one day but it would be one hell of a clean-up operation.

"Good timing, sir," Vega stated, "They were pushing us hard."

"Take five, then secure the area. Garrus, take position up there. Watch the main route into town. EDI, patch into any communication links you can find. Information is king."

Miranda and Liara joined me near the pod. "Okay, let's wake him up," I said.

"Know what you're doing, Shepard?" Liara asked.

"Yeah, it was fairly self-explanatory. Guess it's all to do with the beacons."

It took more than a few commands for the pod to activate. There was a whoosh of air before a few clicks and whirrs, then the pod opened to reveal what looked like a Collector to begin with, then remembered that the Collectors had been Prothean but significantly changed. Liara could barely contain her excitement as the Prothean remained still for a few seconds.

"It may take some time for him to fully regain consciousness," she explained.

She was right though there was eventually a little movement as he woke up before his eyes slowly blinked open. He would have seen blue sky at first before his head slowly but surely turned towards us. Before we could say anything, he seemed to summon powerful biotics that sent the three of us flying backwards.

Rising to my feet quickly, I watched the Prothean walk away, stumbling a few times, no doubt his mind still a muddle. Liara warned me to be careful as I approached as he stood by the side of the walkway. In the vision, he'd been standing in the remains of a city, or at least an enormous bunker. He no doubt didn't recognise a thing at the moment. What surprised me was when I grabbed his shoulder and I had another vision, this of his last moments before entering the pod.

The Prothean collapsed to hands and knees in front of me. "How many others?" he asked quietly.

"Just you," I replied, "You can understand me?"

"Yes. Now that I have read your physiology, your nervous system. Enough to understand your language." I glanced at Liara, who simply shrugged. This was biotics beyond our understanding. He then looked across us. "Asari. Human. I'm surrounded by primitives."

"Primitives who just woke you up, but we'll worry about that later. There are bad people on the way. You willing to join us?"

He looked around and ascertained the situation. "You fight Reapers?"

"Yes."

He nodded. "Then we will see."

Vega stepped forward. "Sir, first contact protocols state that the Prothean... er..." He looked at the Prothean and back to me. "We'll need to escort him back to the ship then hold him under guard until he's cleared by the brass, sir."

"No restraints necessary, Lieutenant."

"Aye, sir."

"Call in Cortez, take him back to the ship for now. Liara, get in touch with Benezia. See where she is. Garrus, Miranda, EDI, you can join Vega and the Prothean for now. I'm not sure how long we'll be here."

"Yes, sir," Miranda replied. I smirked as I was getting quite used to the 'sir' from her.

Liara walked away to contact her mother while the rest of us waited for the shuttle. The Prothean seemed to still be waking up, though even I could see him glancing around, assessing us. Having seen the visions, I knew he was a fellow warrior. Could probably kill most of us without barely raising a sweat. He definitely had that look about him. After a few final words with Vega about what to do with our new guest, the shuttle took off, leaving me with Liara.

"Benezia is on her way."

"Alone?"

"Yes. In a civilian vehicle. She has her own little place only a few clicks from here." Then she smirked. "Surprised you don't want to see her alone."

"I'm hoping for a little mother-daughter action again."

She gave me a gentle shove with a giggle, then she pulled me close to kiss her. "Play your cards right and you can definitely fuck us both," she murmured, "Long as it doesn't get too weird."

"We made it work before."

Benezia arrived ten minutes later, stepping out of her vehicle and, admittedly, I was hard as a rock within moments. The commando leathers she wore were practically sculpted to her body. She was a little slimmer than the last time I'd seen her, but she was still thick in all the right places. Seeing both of us, her face lit up in a genuine grin. Liara approached her somewhat cautiously, but when they hugged, there was a warmth there that would have been missing three years earlier, and I could see immediately how much the reunion meant to Benezia.