"John, good to see you..."
Benezia answered my call very quickly. I got the impression she was actually waiting for it. However, outwardly she didn't show it in any way.
"Me too, Benezia, me too. I decided to get in touch..."
"Has it started?"
She interrupted me, and her gaze became extremely serious.
"Yes. Where is Liara now? Saren has shown interest in her... and..."
"She's on Therum; Prothean ruins were discovered there, and she rushed off on her latest expedition, listening to no one."
"Well..."
I shrugged carelessly.
"...you didn't let her go without protection, did you?"
"Of course not, my huntresses are with her, and I planned to head to her myself any day now. However, as I understand it, I won't have time to reach her?"
"You won't."
I shook my head, looking at this powerful Asari, and was glad I had managed to change her fate.
** Flashback. **
"And why did you call me here?"
Benezia looked displeasedly at Aria, who was sitting in a comfortable chair next to me. Liara's mother herself had settled in the chair opposite and was now clearly slightly... bewildered regarding my presence in this place.
"Why? Let's just say I want you to mind-fuck this guy."
"What?!"
Benezia looked at her interlocutor with indignation, and her voice seemed to ask: "Have you lost your mind?"
"Aria, how old is this boy now? Although... no, that's not important; what's important is that he's younger than my daughter, and you're suggesting I sleep with him?"
"Well, not exactly... I'm not suggesting, I'm insisting, and not just sleeping with him, but remembering your youth, when you were involved in industrial espionage."
Benezia calmed down slightly and looked at me intently. In her gaze, the question was clearly read: "Boy, what is it about you that Aria is suggesting such a thing to me?"
"Maybe you'll tell me the details?"
"No... however, I will tell you that what you see will affect your future life. It will affect it very strongly."
"And what could possibly be there?"
"Look for information about yourself, your daughter, and the Reapers."
Benezia frowned.
"If this is some kind of stupid joke..."
"Check it first, then talk in that tone."
Benezia sighed and, rising from her seat, walked over to me, leaning slightly, which caused her magnificent bust to sway right before my eyes.
"You're looking in the wrong place, boy."
Unconcealed mockery sounded in her voice.
"My eyes are higher up."
"Ahem... my apologies."
I pulled myself together and looked into the Matriarch's eyes, and then I fell into a black abyss.
When I opened my eyes, tears were streaming down Benezia's cheeks.
"I won't allow it... I won't allow this..."
I didn't have time to react before she grabbed me by the shoulders and, jerking me up, pulled me into an embrace, during which my face ended up in a very attractive captivity.
"...I don't know who you are or why you decided to help, but thank you."
"Ahem-ahem..."
Aria drew the attention of Benezia, who didn't let go of me.
"I haven't forgotten about you... And I'm grateful to you too, but... this young man was already prepared, even without your help, to contact me and even risk his own life to warn me about the danger threatening me and Liara."
I was squeezed tighter in the embrace, and air began to run short, so I hugged Benezia back and lightly patted her on the back.
"Ah?"
"You're choking him..."
Mockery sounded in Aria's voice, but overall, to die such a death... perhaps it's not so bad. However, immediately after Aria said that, I was released.
"Sorry, it's just, what I saw in your head..."
She shook her head.
"...it doesn't quite fit into my picture of the world and I..."
"Started behaving like a brainless maiden."
Aria couldn't resist inserting her comment.
"So what? Are you jealous?"
"Me? Jealous? Not at all, but it seems to me you can thank John a bit later; he won't mind if you visit his room."
This was said with an implication that made me blush, while Benezia only smirked, as if saying: "Maybe I will visit his room, but that will be none of your business."
"I only want us to get down to business now, because we have very little time left. Only about ten to fifteen years."
** End. **
Yes, that time was very interesting, but unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Benezia never did come to my room. Instead, after we drew up an approximate work plan, she left and returned about a month later with Liara...
Oof, what a meeting that was!
** Flashback. **
"Daughter, meet my savior, John Lawson."
"Very pleased, Mr. Lawson."
Liara nodded shyly. She looked at me with lack of understanding, but at the same time with gratitude. It was clear from her look that she didn't understand how some young guy could have saved her mother, but at the same time, she didn't even allow the thought that Benezia might be joking now.
"I'm very pleased too, Miss T'Soni."
I decided to stick to the official direction of the introduction.
"Right, enough of that!"
Benezia took two steps toward me, while grabbing her daughter by the hand and dragging her to me, after which she literally pushed her in my direction.
"Embrace and kiss! We have a lot of work to do together, and I don't want to communicate so officially..."
"Mother!"
Liara pulled away from me and looked at Benezia with indignation.
"I said embrace and kiss."
Benezia's voice became slightly stricter, and Liara didn't dare disobey her mother, so I was pulled into an embrace, and after about ten seconds, she pulled back slightly and kissed me on the lips. The kiss was unskilled, I would even say childish, and her eyes were tightly shut.
At that moment, it seemed to me that the dream of my entire past life had come true. It would have been even better if Tali had kissed me now too! And if...
I hurried to drive away dreams of something more.
"Heh, well, actually, I meant a kiss on the cheek, but I'm even glad that my good-for-nothing daughter, who's only interested in science, has finally taken an interest in a boy, so I bless your union."
"Mother!"
Liara looked at Benezia with anger and indignation, but I carefully took her by the hand.
"Hey, believe me, your mother has reasons to behave like a maiden with a fire under her."
"Phee..."
Liara laughed quietly.
"Hey, actually, I was trying for your sake! I wanted to make sure you two became a couple! And here..."
"And I'm taking Liara's side against you, so you could say..."
I didn't get to finish, as I received a light biotic slap on the back of the head.
"Actually, I've already said that you not only can, but must address me informally, and I'll punish official addresses."
"Sorry..."
I smiled weakly.
"...it's just hard to perceive that you can be so spontaneous. And I think you'll soon find out everything."
"Well... she's already told me some of the information, but it's very hard to believe."
"Well, I don't want everything I know to turn out to be true either, but I don't think we have the right to exclude that possibility. Just so that in case even something of what I know is true..."
"I understand..."
Liara nodded resolutely.
"Alright, kiss once more and let's get to work..."
Jerking Liara toward me—I was still holding her hand—I caught her lips with mine, and she, caught off guard, didn't pull away and only awkwardly hugged me.
"Well done!"
As soon as we pulled apart, Benezia gave me a thumbs up.
"But keep in mind, if you hurt my daughter, I'll personally twist your head off!"
"Mother!"
Liara blushed with embarrassment and hurried to hide from her mother behind my back.
** End. **
"Pity... then we'll meet on Noveria?"
"Yes, and be careful. Remember that you have those who will be upset if something happens to you, and I'm not just talking about me and Liara now, but also about Aria, with whom you've clearly had extremely close relations in recent years."
"Tch..."
Benezia jerked her shoulder.
"I'll remember, and you remember that I expect you to return my daughter to me safe and sound. And if that's not the case..."
She looked at me intently.
"Then you'll personally twist my head off. I remember."
"Good... and one more thing, you do realize that our lives might turn out differently now? That all our plans, which we created with such difficulty... they might just fall apart upon meeting reality..."
"I understand."
"Then, if something does happen to me after all, take care of Liara, and keep an eye on Aria so she doesn't do anything stupid."
"You'd better get Aria out to Noveria; she'll be needed there."
"Alright, I'll get her out."
Benezia nodded, after which the connection broke; I calmly left the comm room and looked at Pressly.
"Is the ship ready for departure?"
"Exactly so."
"Then plot a course for Therum; that's our first destination. We're going to save an archaeologist Saren is hunting."
"Sir..."
Pressly looked at me with slight doubt.
"...don't you want to address the crew?"
"Address the crew, then?"
I looked thoughtfully at the XO, then nodded.
"Well, alright, I'll address them..."
After those words, I walked over to the console from which the captain usually gives orders. Well, at least, is supposed to give instructions. In reality, he usually does it from any part of the ship.
"Respected crew..."
My voice began to broadcast from all the ship's speakers.
"Many of you know me, but I'll introduce myself anyway. My name is John Shepard, and the SSV Normandy has been transferred to me by the Alliance so that the first human Spectre has high mobility."
Yeah, and also because there's simply nowhere to assign this ship—a stealth frigate... humanity has never had such a thing, and they just don't know what to do with it.
"The task the Council has entrusted to us is very dangerous, and it's quite likely that not everyone will return from it, however, I want you to know. I will do everything in my power to ensure that the number of those who return matches the number of the crew, and we don't have to bury comrades."
I went silent for a few seconds.
"I want you all to know that a great deal depends on us. For now, it's not being talked about, but it's quite possible that Saren has contacted someone or something that could threaten not only our colonies but all the Council Races.
Quiet whispers rippled through the ship; I could understand this by watching those crew members who were in the CIC.
"We have no room for error, so I ask you all... work as if the life of your loved one, child, sister, or brother, who are currently safe, depends on this work. And let's, when it's all over, in
"Let's drink to a successful mission and to saving the galaxy, or you can all laugh at me for being paranoid! Forward, Normandy!"
"Yeeeeaaaah!"
The thunderous roar of the entire crew was my answer.
***
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