Mass Effect: Cry Out For a Hero

I was lying back with Liara as she was snoozing against me. We were still on our way to Virmire, at least another day or two away from arriving, and the reports coming in did not make for good reading. There was hope that Saren was still there and that maybe, just maybe, I would be able to corner him. But the fact that the STG team on the ground had gone silent did not bode well.

Liara stirred when my omni-tool played a tune that told me a call was incoming. It was Jane and I answered it as Liara opened her eyes.

"Hey, Jane."

"Shepard… Are you trying to make every woman and asari in the galaxy fall in love with you or something? The stories about Terra Nova are flying about!"

"Ah, well… Hackett sent me to stop an asteroid and, well, the people of Terra Nova were quite happy that I did just that."

"I've seen pictures and video of the celebrations. Looked like one woman in particular was rather infatuated."

"Yeah, that was probably Kate. She was the one who kept everyone alive on the asteroid."

"Fuck her?" That's when Liara laughed. "I'm guessing that you're not alone?"

"Good morning, Jane," Liara stated.

"Hey, Liara. You naked in bed with him?"

"I am. I love being naked in bed with Shepard. He's incredibly warm."

"Shepard, next time you're headed towards the Citadel, let me know and I'll do my best to get there."

"It will depend on what happens on Virmire. If I can catch Saren, it will hopefully mean the end of the mission. If not, then I don't know the next step. But I'll definitely keep you up to date with my progress."

"Good. Now, one thing, Liara. Make sure you get that dick inside you soon as you're going to love it. And as Shepard already knows, I'd love to have fun with both of you one night."

"I think we'll take you up on that offer, Jane," Liara replied.

I disconnected the line and turned to kiss Liara. She pressed against me as always as my hands moved down to her arse. She rolled me onto my back and I felt her pussy resting on my hard cock, and when she started to run herself along my length, she smiled shyly at me. I knew that she was almost close to giving in though it would always remain her decision.

"Want to have a little fun?" I asked. Giving me a curious look, I added, "Want to be my little model? I think Jane would like to receive some photos of my hot little asari doctor."

"I'd love to."

I sat on my knees as Liara laid on her side to start and I snapped my first picture. She moved to sit on her knees in front of me, folding her arms underneath her breasts while gazing at me. The look in her eyes was one of pure lust. She had me chuckling as the next photo was of her blue hand grasping my cock. She let it go and laid back, keeping her legs closed as I snapped another photo. I heard a ding that told me that Jane had no doubt sent a message as Liara slowly spread her legs to show me her pussy. It glistened with her excitement as I snapped more than one photo, getting in closer to her pussy.

Glancing at my omni-tool, I chuckled before stating, "Jane's loving them. She thinks you're hot."

"This is so naughty, Shepard. Maybe you should record me masturbating?"

And that's exactly what we did, Liara happy to slowly bring herself to orgasm. When she did, she offered me her fingers to finally taste her pussy even if it was only a glimpse of what I'd get to taste later. I wasn't surprised that Jane called me, a video call that I opened so that Liara could also see. Jane was at her desk in her office, and she was returning the favour, barely able to get a word out as she jilled herself silly through more than one orgasm.

"I can't wait to meet you in person, Jane," Liara said softly, "And I can see why Shepard is eager to see you again soon."

We finally dressed and walked out to join the rest of the crew for breakfast. Everyone was used to me walking out with Liara, Ashley or both of them so it was no longer mentioned. I think Wrex had stopped taking bets at the same time. Joining Joker on the flight deck after I finished eating, he said we were still half a day out from Virmire. I was keeping him up to date with the situation, both of us concerned about the reception that we'd receive.

I could sense the tension among the crew as we closed on Virmire as I had briefed everyone on the mission and that there was a good chance that Saren was on the planet. I worked off any nerves by heading down the cargo bay and working out, building up a good sweat. Ashley joined me to provide some company though all we did was exercise.

"You going to kill him?" she asked when we'd finished, sitting side by side on the bench as we sipped at water.

"If I get the shot, absolutely. The Council might want me to bring him in alive to face charges, but if I get my chance, I'm going to put down that turian bastard. He'll pay for what he did on Eden Prime and elsewhere."

I felt her hand take mine, interlacing our fingers together. I met her eyes and she smiled softly. "You know how I feel, but the one thing that I feel beyond anything is my belief in you, Shepard," she said, "You're not perfect, no one is. But what you've done so far, I know you'll do everything possible to make sure that we win and that we stop that bastard."

"What we've done, Ash. I haven't done any of this alone."

"While that might be true, you are our leader. And the absolute confidence I have in your leadership… I know there is always the chance that I will die wearing this uniform. It's something you understand when you sign up for service. But I also know that you're someone who will do everything in their power to make sure everyone does come home."

We were preparing for our arrival when Joker reported that we were approaching the orbit of Virmire. I was making my way up to the flight deck when I heard the first transmission from the ground. It was a message from the STG team and the situation was as bad as we feared. Kaidan picked up signatures that suggested considerable aerial defences that meant we couldn't approach the facility that was highlighted as a major base of operations.

"I'll have to drop you in the Mako, Commander," Joker reported, "And you'll have to drive the rest of the way. Those defences will tear this ship to pieces if we get too close."

"All ground crew to the cargo bay. We're dropping in the Mako."

"This is going to be a bitch of a mission, Commander," Joker muttered, "If Saren already has all of this built, what the hell else are you going to find there?"

"I don't know just yet, but I'm thinking that we're going to need to destroy it eventually."

The good news was that my squad was ready and raring to go. During our journey to Virmire, I'd been deep in conversation with my squad as a few of them had requests that I could help them with in my role as a Spectre. Tali was still looking for a Pilgrimage gift and wondered if we could get something that would help her people about the geth. Garrus was still tracking a criminal that he'd been trying to find for months, the usual red tape from C-Sec having allowed him to escape. As for Wrex, I'd given my word that we'd head to a planet nearby in an attempt to retrieve some lost armour from his clan. But they all knew that catching Saren was the most important thing but that I would help them as soon as the mission was over.

"The last report that the Council received from the ground is that Saren has a facility. We're not sure what it's for, but no doubt it's something fucked up. We know what we found on Noveria and Feros suggested that Saren is not going to stop until he's helped the Reapers invade. So we're here to stop him."

We loaded up into the Mako, everyone in their usual positions, and we waited for the green light. I felt the Normandy enter the atmosphere of Virmire. There was the usual sense of weightlessness for a few seconds as the Mako free-fell towards the ground, landing with the usual crunch. I reported to Joker that the drop was successful, and he was to remain in orbit until I called him back. The last thing we needed was the loss of the ship and no way off the planet.

Geth. They knew we were coming and they were dug in. It was worse than what we'd run into on Feros almost immediately. Saren must have brought an entire geth army with him. It had me worrying about the status of the STG team. What was the size of their team? How many were dead or alive? Would they be able to provide effective support against Saren?

Saren had built his facility with a series of defensive lines. It meant needing to open gatehouses before we could move on. In addition to the geth, their drones were constantly harassing us, Ashley focusing on their ground forces, Kaidan focusing his fire on the drones. Wrex eventually suggested that Tali should get out and provide ground support and he would support her.

"Garrus, take over the shields as well. Wrex, keep her alive."

"I will, Shepard. Come on, little one. I can't wait to see you cause havoc."

"Tali, if it gets too difficult out there, you are to return to the Mako. Okay?"

"Yes, Shepard. But Wrex will keep me safe."

What I didn't fail to miss was the fact that Virmire was an utterly gorgeous world. The water looked pristine. There was certainly plenty of greenery. And if there was enough land mass, I wondered why there had been no major colonisation efforts made. When I raised that question, Garrus had a rather quick answer.

"We're far too close to the Terminus Systems, Commander," he explained, "Although this does look perfect, the fact is that this would be ripe for pirate attacks. Think of Elysium but attacks like that happening constantly. The Alliance would have to spend billions of credits to make this planet safe enough for colonisation."

"And that explains why Saren has built his base here," I muttered, "Because no one is watching the planet."

"And from the defences in place, he's been planning this for years," Ashley added.

The geth started to jam our radar, Garrus muttering to himself before focusing on the shields. I just concentrated on what I could see in front of us. Wrex and Tali used the Mako for cover when walking forward though there was plenty of cover that they could use when I brought the Mako to a halt. I knew Tali was running riot with all her technical skills.

Getting through the gatehouse meant clambering out of the Mako to get it open. The geth were waiting for us and just making it all over one hundred metres was a bitch. And we took wounds. Nothing major, but it was a sign of the ferocity and intensity of the fighting. As for Tali, her omni-tool must have been running red hot and she caused carnage in the geth lines. I opened the gate with a simple command, and I was left wondering if Saren knew that I was coming to get him.

Larger geth machines waited for us. Tali had explained that the quarians had names for some of them although she was thankful that she had never encountered them before joining up with me. The smaller four-legged machines were called Armatures. They were shielded though could normally be taken out by a couple of well-placed shots by the cannon. But then there were the four-legged behemoths though they were called a Colossus.

It's not an understatement when I suggest that a Colossus was an absolute bitch to take down.

I called Wrex and Tali into the Mako when it came to dealing with the four-legged geth. Once we had them put down, they were back out as I drove slowly forward towards the next gatehouse. A few of the much larger bi-pedal units were waiting for us, the sort that could withstand a barrage of gunfire before they finally hit the ground. We made it to the console and managed to open the gate, glancing over my squad after I'd done so.

They were feeling the strain but there was determination in every pair of eyes that I met. Another console was activated, and Garrus checked it over and confirmed that it was for the anti-aircraft guns. He shut it down and a synthetic voice announced that the AA guns were now offline.

"Commander, I'm reading the AA guns are now offline. Can you confirm?"

"That's affirmative, Joker."

"Copy that, Commander. Heading to the salarian base now. I'll update you if I manage to speak to anyone on the ground."

The Normandy swooped low over our heads as we readied to enter the Mako once again. It didn't take long until we made contact with the geth again. They were throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at us. Massive machines were lined up to take us down. What felt like a flood of bipedal units. Tali and Wrex remained inside as it was simply safer, and I needed Tali on shields while Garrus was calling out contacts constantly.

I made a quip about the pile of geth that we would be leaving behind and wondered what would happen to all the parts. Tali managed to joke about the Migrant Fleet and that they always needed parts though they had to be careful about geth programming.

"This is madness!" Ashley shouted as the cannon fired over and over again. Geth were sent flying from each explosion.

The Mako was almost faultless. Tali kept the shields up. Garrus was constantly picking out new targets. Ashley and Kaidan rarely missed. Wrex eventually got out simply so he could contribute. I kept the Mako constantly moving, doing all that I could to make sure that any rockets fired at us didn't hit. The gunfire the shields could handle. The inside of the Mako turned into a sweatbox as Tali was having to pull any residual power into shields. As long as I could drive and Ashley could shoot, I didn't care how hot it got.

"That's everything," Garrus finally reported as I heard the cannon and machine gun finally fall silent, "No more energy signatures, Commander. We're good."

I'm sure that it was only my ears ringing. I heard Ashley slump against the side of the Mako behind me, glancing to see my two gunners dripping with sweat. I felt rather damp myself. Once everyone had taken a moment to calm down and Wrex was back inside the Mako, we passed through the last gatehouse and approached the salarian camp in the distance.

The Normandy had landed nearby, and I could see a few crew members were making ready a camp as I didn't know how long we would remain on the planet. I had to check my omni-tool for the time, realising that the time was late in the day. I didn't want to think about a night-time attack on the facility. We had no idea of the layout nor of how many enemies lay ahead. I knew we'd have to bunk down for the evening and attack at dawn.

After parking up the Mako, we all clambered out and I didn't miss that most of us headed straight for the cold water to calm down. I wasn't the only one to start taking off armour though I left on the bottom half but I was bare-chested rather quickly. Liara and Ashley did the same thing, leaving themselves in sports bras that they wore underneath.

"I'm heading onto the ship first to see if I can make contact with the Council or Alliance. Lieutenant, see what you can learn from the salarians for the time being," I instructed, "Chief, we'll probably camp here for the evening and head out at first light. Make sure all our armour and weapons are ready."

"Aye, Commander," they both replied.

Up in the communications room, I managed to get a connection to the Council. It wasn't a great line as there was still plenty of interference, but I was able to let them know that I'd made it to the ground and would now be linking up with the salarians. I confirmed that the aerial defences had been taken down and that if it was possible, for reinforcements to be sent. If not that, at least a clean-up crew for when we blew up the facility.

As no matter what we found, I was going to blow it to smithereens.

Wandering back outside, I walked into a bit of an argument. The leader of the STG team, Major Kirrahe, had been hoping that the Council had sent reinforcements. Major reinforcements. I had to explain to him that the Council hadn't received any such message due to the communications blackout and the only reinforcements that he'd be receiving would be those from my ship.

"But I am a Council Spectre," I added, "The most important question is your status and the location of Saren?"

"To be honest, Commander, we were barely holding on before your arrival. We heard your progress here and we used that time to try and rescue some of our captured men, but that was futile. We're down to half of what we arrived with though that won't mean we'll give up. Saren must be stopped and what he's up to sends shivers down my spine."

"What do you mean?"

"He's breeding an army of krogan."

"What?" Wrex shouted, striding over and looming over us, "What do you mean breeding an army?"

Kirrahe looked between the pair of us before he replied. "It appears Saren may have found a cure for the genophage. Naturally such a thing cannot be allowed to exist and therefore must be destroyed immediately."

"It cannot be destroyed if it gives hope to my people," Wrex retorted.

Kirrahe blinked before he stated, "You were a mistake and the genophage cannot be cured."

I think Wrex considered killing him. I really did. "Easy, big guy," I murmured, "We're going to need them for this mission."

The krogan stepped forward and jammed a thick finger into the chest of the salarian. "Choose your next words very wisely, salarian. The krogan are not a mistake. You needed us when the galaxy was under attack. It was your decision."

"I'm not getting into an argument with you, krogan."

Wrex turned and walked away. "Great," I muttered, "Now he's pissed off and I need him with a clear mind for this."

"We'll start putting a plan in place for a dawn attack, Commander."

"I'll be up before dawn to join you. Send me anything you have, and I'll review. What are your immediate thoughts?"

"Two teams. One will be a distraction to hopefully draw the bulk of the forces away. The second team will infiltrate the facility. I'm thinking that we're going to need one hell of a bomb to blow up this facility."

"Sounds like a good plan. There's no chance that I'm leaving this planet without making sure that this place is a crater."

"We'll continue our preparations as well, Commander. Luckily, we don't need as much sleep as everyone else."

"Yeah, I'd rather get at least a couple of hours sack time before we attack."

Wrex had wandered off and was firing his shotgun occasionally at some nearby rocks. I approached cautiously as I knew he was angry, and I didn't particularly want him turning his weapon on me. Ashley, Kaidan and Liara hovered nearby. I waved them away as I wanted to speak to Wrex alone. We stood in silence for more than a few minutes as he continued to blast his shotgun before he looked at me.

"This isn't right, Shepard. I know it's Saren and he's doing it for his own reasons, but if it's possible he has found a way to cure my people."

"Do you really think he's doing it to cure your people or for his own benefit?"

"Hmmm. That's what I've been thinking about while I've been shooting at things. Why would Saren want an army of krogan? Not because he wants to help us, that's for sure. Considering he wants to destroy the galaxy…"

"Exactly. I doubt these krogan he is breeding would be given any sort of freedom. No doubt they'd be some sort of mindless army. Think of what we discovered on Noveria and the rachni. And the Thorian. Probably using the same mind-control techniques. If he has a cure for the genophage, I'd be surprised if it's an actual 'cure'."

He was silent for a few seconds. "But what if it's a start?"

"Then we won't let the salarians know about it. You trust me?"

"I do, Shepard."

"Then leave it with me. We won't be making a move until the morning. We'll attack at dawn and hopefully catch whoever is inside unawares. It'll no doubt be another long slog like today."

I would have considered camping outside on the beach, but even as darkness descended, the weather remained quite warm and humid. Not particularly nice conditions to try and sleep in though a few of my crew members told me that they just wanted to spend a night off the ship. I didn't mind though I was going to sleep in my air-conditioned cabin. I was in my shower when I was joined by the two people that I expected, and as we shared some soft kisses, I could feel the tension and nerves from both of them.

"Liara's nervous and I'm… I've just got a bad feeling, Shepard," Ashley admitted while I soaped up her body, "This might be the end of the mission if we get him, but… It's hard not to think about Eden Prime and wonder if my ticket will be punched this time."

I pulled her close and kissed her, feeling her fingers dig into my back. When I pulled back, Liara caressed her cheek, and the pair shared a soft kiss. After we were all clean and dried off, I led them to my bed and I was pleased that Ashley lay down with her back to me as she faced Liara, the pair sharing a series of light kisses before it finally turned much deeper. I was pressing my cock into Ashley's rear as I watched her hand move down Liara's body.

Liara could sense Ashley's nerves. She gently grabbed her wrist while spreading her legs, gazing into her eyes as she placed her hand between her legs. "It's just like yours," Liara assured her.

Ashley moaned as I slipped my hand between her legs, feeling her spread them enough for me to feel her up, Liara moaned as Ashley's hesitancy disappeared.

"That's it, Ash," Liara cooed, "I love the feeling of your fingers already. I think you'll make me cum really hard."

"If I'm doing this, Shepard gets to taste you properly tonight." Then she took a deep breath before turning her head to look at me. "And we're making love, Shepard. I can't go into the field tomorrow without finally feeling you inside me."

The look in her eyes told me that she was adamant, and I'll admit that we'd waited more than long enough. Ashley eventually had her leg resting back on mine so I had full access to her pussy though her entire focus was now on Liara, our young asari lover moaning softly as Ashley was now fully in the moment of making sure Liara enjoyed an orgasm.

"Shepard… You're making love to me and going down on her," Ashley moaned, "We both get something special tonight."

"We'll make love for the first time when we meld again," Liara whimpered her eyes moving between Ashley and me, "Although if I watch you two together now…"

"It's your choice, Liara," I assured her, "Remember the rule. No rushing into anything. Whenever you feel ready for it."

Liara was the first to orgasm. It wasn't her orgasm that made Ashley laugh, it was my obvious reaction as she felt my hard cock pressing against her even more. Ashley then stopped laughing as I could feel her body starting to tense up, Liara sensing what was about to happen, and I felt her fingers join mine in pleasing Ashley.

"Liara," Ashley whispered.

"I think we get Jane to join us and we… We go down on each other when Shepard is fucking Jane."

"I'd love to taste you properly," Ashley admitted.

Ashley came hard as Liara's fingers replaced my fingers inside Ashley as I moved mine to give Liara a little fondle. She smiled at me as I tasted them both on my fingers together once I slid them into my mouth. Once Ashely calmed down, Liara cried out as she found herself on her back very quickly as Ashley and I both moved to spread her legs and gaze at her pussy.

"Your scent is amazing," Ashley stated.

"You ready for this, Liara?" I had to ask.

"We're both getting something special tonight, Shepard. I'm… I'm a little scared about tomorrow but determined to get the job done."

Running my tongue along her slit for the first time earned such a moan from the asari that I think she nearly enjoyed another orgasm straight away. She tasted ever so sweet as I pulled her into my mouth and earned another moan. I noticed Ashely lift herself up and kiss up Liara's body before taking one of her breasts in her mouth.

"Ashley…"

Ashely shushed her. "Focus on what Shepard is doing."

"Oh, trust me, I am. I can't believe he's finally doing this for me!"

Wrapping my hands around her thighs, I gazed up and really got to work. And Liara whimpered more than once before she enjoyed an orgasm rather quickly. Her hips pushed down as she was eager for more, my tongue moving up to her clit and lightly teasing that which earned a louder cry of pleasure.

"Goddess," she moaned softly, "Shepard… Don't stop…"

I wasn't going to stop until she had effectively passed out from the pleasure. And things only got better when I slid a finger inside her, feeling her clench around it almost immediately. Ashley kissed her to keep her at least quieter than what she'd been already as a second finger rather quickly slipped inside her as I wanted to make her cum even harder.

Her back arched as her next orgasm tore through her body, needing to break her kiss with Ashley as she needed to express her feelings. She then kissed Ashley eagerly, whimpering again and again as I was relentless on her. She was practically flowing into my mouth by now, her juices dripping down my chin.

Liara could handle two more before she had to beg me to stop, her body continuing to shudder as I left a trail of soft kisses up her body. When I finally met her eyes, they glistened as we shared a soft kiss before I felt her tongue on my chin.

"Think I haven't tasted myself," she said to my amused expression.

She felt my cock resting against her pussy and fell silent as she gazed into my eyes. I was ready to slide inside her though I could see that she wasn't quite ready for it. I kissed her again before I leaned back and smiled at her. Sliding to the opposite side from Ashley, we ran our hands up and down Liara as she calmed down from the excitement. Ashley dipped her fingers inside Liara to taste her more than once, and when she then offered her slick fingers to Liara, our asari lover didn't hesitate for a second.

"So fucking hot," I murmured, and when Liara did the same with Ashley, I raised an eyebrow as Ashley continued to surprise me with how open-minded she now was.

She chuckled at my expression. "Come on, Shepard, I think most girls are at least a little curious when they masturbate. Trust me, I know my pussy tastes good."

Noticing my erection, Ashley then told Liara that it was time to learn how to suck dick. Liara was eagerly up on her knees as they sat on either side of me as Ashley instructed her on the finer points of fellatio. She then thought about it and had me stand up with both of them on her knees.

"I noticed the others do this," Liara said as Ashley got my cock nice and slick, "They seemed to love it."

"I'll admit that it's a little submissive to be in front of a man like this, ready to inhale his big dick, but it's so fucking good at the same time. And Shepard won't fuck your face unless you want him to."

"I think gentle this first time would be nice. Will we do it together?"

That's exactly what they did. Ashley did show off by taking my cock to the base, her nose touching my groin, and the look in her eyes told me that there was absolutely no chance we would not be fucking next. As for Liara, she was naturally curious though also unsure, but the one thing that I couldn't doubt was her enthusiasm to pleasure me in return. She couldn't take my whole length that first time though I didn't care. As I ran my fingers over her crest, the shudder made me smile as it was obvious how aroused she now was.

Ashley eventually left Liara to blow me to completion as she got up and stood next to me, moulding her body to my side.

"She looks so happy," she stated, Liara gazing up at both of us, "She really loves you, Shepard. You're her hero."

"And you, Ash?"

"Love you just as much. You've got two girls on this ship who want to share your bed every night when we're on this ship and won't be jealous of your other lovers. Who are we to deny them their chance to be with you? And it's obvious that others will have the same feelings as we do."

Liara's head was now bobbing up and down on my cock quickly and I let her know that I was going to cum rather quickly. Ashley returned to her knees and whispered encouragement to our asari lover, that she was going to love the gift that I gave her, and that any lover of mine would swallow down every drop of cum that I had to give her. She then encouraged me to cum and give Liara as much cum as possible though warned that I better have plenty more for her when I was inside her.

I grunted as I felt my cock throb as I climaxed. Liara did squeal when the first spurt hit her mouth as although she was ready, it would still have been an unusual feeling. But the glazed look of pleasure in her eyes surprised even me, hearing her swallow down each spurt of cum that filled her mouth.

"Good girl," Ashley stated.

Liara swallowed everything before she and Ashley kept my cock hard as their tongues ran up and down my shaft. The two then shared one hell of a steamy kiss before gazing up at me with a smile on their faces.

Moving back on the bed, Ashley spread her legs and pointed to her pussy. Although I happily enjoyed going down on her again, Liara wasn't hesitant in going down on Ashley as well. I eventually moved out of the way as Liara figured out rather quickly how to pleasure Ashley, and she gestured for me to kneel next to her, happy to take my cock in her mouth. She moaned around my cock more than once as she enjoyed an orgasm though after her third, she begged me to start fucking her.

"She's definitely ready for you," Liara stated with amusement, "And she's right. Her pussy is lovely."

Liara moved to lie down next to Ashley as I positioned myself between Ashley's legs. I leaned down and kissed her softly as I ran the head of my cock against her, feeling her push down in her eagerness to have me inside her. When the head of my cock slowly started to slide inside her, she immediately whimpered though it was the blinking rapidly that surprised me. She waited until I was inside her completely before she kissed me hard, feeling her legs wrap around me.

"It's been so long," she whispered, something that I already knew, "But it's you, Shepard… That's why it's such a big thing for me."

Within minutes, it was like we'd been making love for years as we just knew how to move together to ensure that we both enjoyed it completely. Liara didn't move as she watched us make love, Ashley making sure that she held the hand of the asari though her eyes remained focused on me. I enjoyed glancing down between us, seeing Ashley's body move in time to my thrusts and watching my cock slowly disappear inside her.

My head eventually ended up next to hers as the tempo of our lovemaking grew faster. When she cried out and I felt her pussy tighten around my cock, I had to lift my head and meet her eyes. She was blushing as I think the orgasm even caught her by surprise.

"Fuck me," she demanded, "Harder, Shepard. I'm going to love feeling you slam into me."

I grinned at her as I pulled back and out of her. I gestured and she flipped over onto her knees and rested her head down though I suggested that Liara position herself in front of Ashley. Liara eagerly moved as I slid inside Ashley and resumed thrusting. Ashley leaned up to kiss Liara at the same time, moaning into her mouth as the sound of my groin slapping against Ashley's arse echoed around my cabin.

"Oh God, fuck me," Ashley moaned, "Fucking love your big cock, Shepard. Fits me so fucking good."

Leaning forward, I ran my fingers up and down her back, feeling her shudder as I could sense her entire body was sensitive. Pushing her arse down slightly, I repositioned and leaned forward, eventually resting my head on her shoulder as I really started to drive my cock into her harder. That earned a couple of grunts though all she did was beg me for more.

"Your pussy is mine," I growled into her ear, "Though Liara will also be allowed access."

"Yes, Shepard. Whatever you want."

"I'm thinking you'll need to pleasure Liara too. Taste that sweet asari pussy as often as you can."

I was soon driving my cock into Ashley as she rested her head on Liara's body. Liara ran her fingers through her long, thick hair, Ashley moaning, whimpering yet still begging for more. I could feel my body streaming with sweat and my orgasm fast approaching. I warned her that I was close, Ashley begging me to just fill her up.

When I came, I almost felt the need to go to sleep straight away, it was such a good one. Ashley continued to whimper underneath me as I drove my cock as deep as possible, wanting every single drop possible to remain inside her. I left my cock buried as it stopped throbbing, Ashley turned her head to face me. Her face was rather pink and glistened with sweat, with some strands of long hair stuck to her forehead.

"Best fuck ever," she said softly before we shared a soft kiss.

She wanted to ride me next, and that's when we enjoyed our first threesome as Liara hovered above my face, facing towards Ashley while she bounced up and down on my dick. She enjoyed more than one orgasm while doing so while I made Liara cum again as I ate her pussy. The pair continued to make out while having fun on my body.

In the end, the only thing that didn't happen was sliding my dick inside Liara. I fucked Ashley from behind again so she could eat out Liara at the same time. My final orgasm of the night was unloaded on both their bodies as I fucked Ashley hard before I pulled out and stroked off. That necessitated another shower together to clean up before we ended up back in bed, Ashley snugged to one side, Liara to the other.

"I love you," Liara whispered, "I know those words are difficult for you, Shepard. But we're not the only two. Kiara. Mother. Jane."

"Gianna. Probably that Tessia who helped your mother. That girl who works for the Consort."

"Naira," I said softly, "Yeah, I felt that when we melded. She couldn't hide that sort of emotion."

"I love you too," Ashley whispered before kissing my cheek, "Best night of my life, Shepard. I meant that so much. And the fact that Liara was here…"

"Ashley, I'd love to meld with you next time."

"I'd like that too. I've obviously never done it, but… I'm intrigued."

The alarm on my omni-tool was set before sunrise. We woke and dressed quickly, meeting everyone else in the mess for breakfast. It was quiet as we knew this was now getting serious. Wrex met my eyes and nodded, no words needing to be exchanged. I had his loyalty and he would follow me. Tali looked confident though I took her hand and assured her that we'd be fine. I could see that brought her comfort. Garrus was determined to catch Saren and bring him to justice, whether it ended with the turian dead or alive.

We joined the salarians outside at their camp. Kirrahe had sent me schematics of the facility and an idea of the plan. His idea was for a team to infiltrate the base from the rear and hopefully catch the defences by surprise while three smaller teams would attempt to breach the facility from the front. For some reason, he then asked me for a favour, wanting to take one of my squad for the assault, specifically either Ashley or Kaidan.

"We're going to need their firepower," he admitted, "We're not equipped for a full-out assault. Just one of your soldiers…"

"Ash!" I called out and she came jogging over, "Want to earn some medals?" I asked, hoping a small joke would help alleviate some of the tension we were all feeling.

"What do you need, Commander?"

"Major Kirrahe has requested assistance regarding the STG assault on the base. I would like you to do so."

"Anything you need, Commander."

"Thank you, Commander. And thank you, Chief. I'll brief you on the mission when we're ready to depart."

"Anything else, Major?"

"Yes, the planned bomb to destroy this facility. Our ship was disabled when we landed, but we could use the fusion core as an improvised nuclear bomb. It will lay this entire facility to waste. I will need all of my men for the assault. Would it be possible for one of your men to look after the bomb while we carry out the assault?"

"I've got just the man in mind. He'll be perfect to make sure it's ready to go."

"Good. Then we should make final preparations before we depart."

"I'll prepare the rest of my team, Major." We exchanged salutes before shaking hands. "Keep in contact and we'll get the bastard."

Ashley walked with me away from the salarians. I could see her nerves, the words that she'd expressed last night about the mission coming back to mind. I broke protocol, pulled her closer and kissed her. She almost melted against me as I put everything that I could into that kiss. When we broke, the steel in her eyes almost made me smile.

"You'll be back on the ship come tonight and in my bed," I told her.

"Totally going to fuck me senseless to celebrate."

"Grab your gear and join up the salarians. I bet they're a tough bunch of fuckers."

Kaidan had reservations about Ashley going off with the salarians though had no problem that I was leaving him to look after the bomb. Despite being a powerful biotic, he had excellent technical ability, understanding that I was taking Tali for her abilities against the geth while Garrus was our squad sniper. No one else would really know what to do.

"The only thing that matters is getting Saren, Commander. I almost want to say no matter the cost… But… Whatever it takes, Commander. Whatever it takes."

We exchanged salutes before shaking hands. "You'll be fine, Lieutenant. We'll get that turian bastard."

Major Kirrahe was preparing his men for battle. They lined up and it was then that I realised that he hadn't just lost men. They'd been decimated. No wonder he had asked me for some help. To be honest, I even considered offering him the help of Wrex for the sheer chaos that he'd cause, but I didn't think they'd work with a krogan. And Wrex would probably end up shooting one of the salarians 'accidentally'. We all knew this mission was dangerous. It could end with deaths. Kirrahe cleared his throat as he paced in front of his men. A last few words to give them confidence. Let them know what was at stake.

"You all know the mission and what is at stake. I have come to trust each of you with my life, but I have also heard murmurs of discontent. I share your concerns. We are trained for espionage. We would be legends, but the records are sealed. Glory in battle is not our way.

Think of our heroes: the Silent Step, who defeated a nation with a single shot. Or the Ever Alert, who kept armies at bay with hidden facts. These giants do not seem to give us solace here, but they are not all that we are. Before the network, there was the fleet. Before diplomacy, there were soldiers.

Our influence stopped the rachni, but before that, we held the line.

Our influence stopped the krogan, but before that, we held the line!

Our influence will stop Saren! In the battle today, we will hold the line!"

Got to say, it was rather inspiring. His men came to attention and saluted. I could feel their confidence soar. Kirrahe turned and we exchanged salutes again, watching as Ashley joined up with them, a last few words before they moved off to where they would begin their attack.

During our previous missions, there'd be a little banter and some jokes exchanged even though we'd be in the middle of the fighting. This time, the only words were my orders to the squad and their suggestions in return. Geth. Lots of geth waited for us. Tali was immediately running riot. Wrex was our battering ram to clear the way forward. Liara was kicking arse with her biotic attacks. We found ourselves at a tower that Tali figured out was a communications tower. We destroyed everything in the room before we moved on towards another communications room, this one for the satellite uplink.

After we made sure that was destroyed as well, we heard from Kirrahe clearly and I think what we'd just destroyed would have opened up communications channels to the rest of the galaxy. I would have immediately contacted the Council and Alliance for assistance if it wasn't for the fact that we needed to get the job finished pronto.

Geth drones were causing havoc with all the squads, Kirrahe asking us for assistance. We followed the flight path of a few drones and found our way towards what looked like their depot. We found drones on the ground being refuelled and destroyed them before we blew up the fuel tanks. The explosions echoed across the facility, loud enough that Kirrahe knew and he radioed in to thank us as it gave his teams a chance to breathe.

The facility was a maze and I was thankful that Kirrahe had given us a layout. It wasn't perfect and we ended up going down the wrong path a couple of times, but I knew we were heading in the right direction when we found ourselves approaching a large door.

"Kirrahe. We've made the entrance of the base. Status update?"

"We're obviously providing a good distraction. No losses sustained so far. Suggest you head in and find what you need quickly."

"Copy that."

We'd only been fighting geth so far. They'd been tough bastards to fight as many of the units had been of the larger variety that could take more damage before we could take them down. As soon as we entered the base itself, we found ourselves going toe to toe with krogan. I wasn't off the belief that they were krogan that Saren had been breeding unless he was ensuring they were fully grown.

Wrex didn't hesitate in fighting any krogan that we found as having had time to think, he knew that Saren would only be curing the genophage for his own reasons. He cared nothing for the krogan like everyone else in the galaxy. Hell, I barely knew anything about the genophage until Wrex told me about it during one of our conversations back on the ship.

We managed to disable any alarm system that would send the enemy towards us to investigate, but I knew it would give Kirrahe and his squads at least some respite. Their radio chatter suggested they were being pressed hard and that any assistance I could give would mean the difference between success and failure, life and death.

For a moment, silence descended as we were in what looked like a laboratory. Descending down some stairs, we found ourselves looking at rows of holding cells, and that's where we found some of the salarians being held. I would have opened the cells immediately but Liara told to me wait. She whispered about what we'd already found earlier and it made sense.

"Who are you?" I asked a salarian behind the glass.

"Private Menos Avot."

"Status report?"

"We were captured six days ago when we attempted to infiltrate the base. I have no idea what's happened to the others, but… Experiments… The experiments they've been doing to me…"

"I'd leave him where he is, Shepard," Liara stated.

"Let me out! Let me out!" the salarian suddenly cried, slamming on the glass, "Let me out of here!"

I stepped back and raised my weapon as he continued to beat the glass. "No," I stated calmly, "I think the experiments were for a reason. To indoctrinate."

"The whispers… They're constantly in my head… I can't shut them up… You have to let me out!" He started to laugh manically. "Of course you have to let me out. That's what you're here to do. Save me!"

We didn't run into many geth or krogan as we continued to search the facility. We found information that would prove helpful. Any geth we did run into found themselves eliminated rather quickly, their numbers in no way comparable to what we'd already faced. Once Tali had disabled their shields, they were easy pickings.

It felt like we were going around in circles as many of the corridors and rooms we entered looked and felt the same as where we'd just been. We did run into a couple of krogan, one wearing a large white lab coat. Wrex though that was hilarious before he shot the krogan in the face.

"He worked for Saren. He deserved to die," the big krogan grumbled.

We found even more salarians. The only one capable of speaking to us was one who introduced himself as Lieutenant Ganto Imness. He confirmed that Saren had been indoctrinating the captured salarians in the hope that he'd then send them out into the galaxy to cause havoc. He knew that we couldn't release him and that he was going to die. He'd made peace with that already and simply wished us well, adding finally that he hoped that he could save the rest of his squad.

"Are you not indoctrinated?" I had to ask.

"I haven't been put through it myself, but I can feel the thoughts seeping into my mind. I'm realistic, Commander. I'm going to die no matter what happens here today. And I'd rather that you didn't take the risk. I could still present a risk to anyone even if I were to escape."

The genophage lab was the next place we hit. We knew that from the tanks that surrounded us, some filled with fully grown krogan. And there was more than one krogan dressed in a white lab coat. Wrex wasn't laughing this time as the krogan noticed our presence and immediately attacked. The real surprise was the appearance of an asari, taken aback for a second by the presence of a human, turian, quarian, asari and krogan working together as a group before she launched her own attack.

We cleared the area and stopped to investigate the lab. We found an absolute treasure trove of information including the securing of a vial of genophage cure. Wrex knew it wasn't a genuine cure. It was all bullshit, but it was perhaps enough that a cure could one day be made viable. Asking what he wanted me to do with it, I offered him the vial before he pushed it towards me.

"You keep it, Shepard. One request. Don't let the Council know for now. I know curing the genophage can't happen now. Even soon. The krogan need to be forced into unity and prove that we can be trusted. Only then may it happen. But what you're holding now might be our only hope."

I glanced around at everyone else. "Am I assured of your secrecy in this?"

"Not a word," Liara stated. I was surprised that Garrus nodded though I think he would follow any order that I gave him. Being a turian and all, he followed orders to the letter. I don't think he had it in him to disobey. He'd proven that already with some of his actions with C-Sec, skirting the law without breaking it.

I knew we were getting close to something. I could feel it in the back of my mind. It was a strange feeling. It almost felt like it was drawing me towards it.

We opened a door and entered a room that was apparently some sort of reception or office. An asari sat at a desk ahead of us. Weapons remained trained on her as I walked towards her. She was noticeably nervous at the group of heavily armed people approaching her.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Rana Thanoptis. Please don't shoot me. I know who you are."

"You do?"

"Commander Shepard. Saren told me… He told me that you would probably come here. If you let me live, I'll tell you everything I know."

"She's probably indoctrinated, Shepard," Liara warned.

"Not directly, but I know it's likely that I have been affected when the process happened to others. And my predecessor… Well, I haven't been here that long…"

"What's your role here then?" I had to ask.

"I'm a neuroscientist. Saren employed me to investigate the effect of Sovereign's indoctrination of organic mind."

"Sovereign? Is that the name of the ship?"

"Yes, that's the ship that he travels on."

"And I'm guessing he is completely indoctrinated?"

"I believe Sovereign gives him enough free will to complete his objectives, but yes, he is indoctrinated."

"The salarians downstairs. I'm guessing they were test subjects?"

"Everyone here is subjected to indoctrination in one form or another. Support staff, it's subtle and not as in-depth as what test subjects are required to endure."

"This is awful," Liara said softly.

"We've got to find Saren, Shepard. We must stop this before it gets any worse," Garrus added.

"I never wanted this. I only knew Saren was a Spectre and he talked about preventing an invasion and saving as many as he could. It was only when I arrived here that I realised the truth. By then, it was already too late. I was told that it was likely that I would never leave." She glanced behind her at the door leading out of her office. "I can help you. It's one good thing that I can do. Saren's private lab is behind this door as is another Prothean beacon."

"That's what I could sense," I murmured, "Felt stronger as I walked in here."

"Those exposed to these beacons can sense their presence. It's a subtle feeling, not like indoctrination, but what I believe is that these beacons were not made for the minds of this current cycle. But I do know that they exist to serve as a warning about the Reaper threat."

I gave what I should do with her a thought. People who had been 'just following orders' had been shot for less. Wrex made me chuckle by suggesting that I could just keep her as an asari sex slave. I'll admit the idea amused me in a carnal sort of way though I wasn't that type of man.

"Rana, I'm going to make this very simple. You can go, but if I ever run into you again doing anything like this, I will shoot you. Understand?"

"Yes, Commander."

"Then I suggest you run as we're blowing this place to hell."

She ran in the opposite direction as we entered Saren's lab. I approached the bacon, Liara asking me to be careful as I felt the beacon come to life as I approached. This time I was ready for it as I felt it 'connect' with my mind. Unlike my connection with the beacon on Eden Prime, this time I remained conscious. The images were far clearer and I think I just about comprehended the message. If I was right, it was a warning about what the future would bring. If I was wrong, the message was still terrifying. The beacon released me, and I closed my eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. I knew that I'd likely have a headache later.

Climbing back up the stairs, I approached the platform where a red hologram appeared before us. It had a loud, booming voice and I'm sure anyone else hearing it would have been intimidated.

You are not Saren.

Well, it was intelligent at least. It definitely wasn't any form of VI that I'd ever seen.

Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh, you touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding.

"Help me understand then," I suggested.

There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign.

"Shepard, this isn't just some sort of ship. It's an actual Reaper!" Liara exclaimed.

Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they chose to call us is irrelevant. We simply... are.

"But they disappeared fifty thousand years ago?" I asked.

Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal, the pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything.

"I'll stop you," I warned though I figured that it would mean nothing if this was genuinely a Reaper. If they could destroy the Protheans…

Confidence born of ignorance. The cycle cannot be broken.

"Shepard, remember what I mentioned about the evidence of destruction, suggestions that species came before the Protheans…" She glanced at me and I nodded. "Why are there cycles? What exactly do you mean?"

The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance, and at the apex of their glory they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel. They did not forge the mass relays. They merely found them - the legacy of my kind.

"But why? What reason do you have to build them? Why do you kill everyone?"

Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays. Our technology. By using it, your civilization develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic life. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it.

We asked a few more questions but those last words sent a chill down each spine in that room. What we now understood is that these Reapers had been around for thousands… hundreds of thousands… even millions of years. Incalculable numbers of species must have been wiped off if these cycles lasted only fifty thousand years or so.

And I'll admit the sheer arrogance of this Reaper pissed me off. Not so strong if they required Saren to open up some sort of cosmic doorway to let them in, right?

"We'll stop you," I stated confidently, "We've stopped worse than you. Machines can be stopped. Can be broken. I'll be ready for when you do appear. So will the galaxy."

Your words are as empty as your future. I am the Vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over...

And then shit went sideways…

"Ah, Commander, we've got a problem. That Reaper ship of Saren's just pulled a turn that would shear any Alliance ship into pieces and it's heading right for you!"

Alarms started blaring and geth seemed to come from nowhere. It was time to get the hell out of there and blow the place to kingdom come. Geth and krogan were waiting around every corner for us. We remained cautious as the firepower coming at us would otherwise wipe us out. Tali was barely firing her shotgun as she was constantly using her omni-tool against the geth. Liara focused on both the geth and krogan with her biotics. Wrex remained our battering ram.

The noise was almost deafening. The alarms. The gunfire. The explosions. We found ourselves positioned below an AA gun. We fought our way into the tower and disabled it, just in case it was operational and shot at the Normandy during our escape. All manner of geth units were now being sent to fight us. It slowed our progress considerably. Kaidan reported in that he was still preparing the bomb. Thankfully the geth or Saren had not noticed him yet. As for Ashley, I could hear her in communication with the salarians. They were still fighting as hard as ever.

I was worried that we were getting lost as the map that I'd been given wasn't exactly clear. I knew getting back to the beach wasn't an option. We needed to get high up the facility so the Normandy could pick us up. I radioed Joker about that and he was preparing to take off as soon as he had my command to depart.

The salarians had been a real nuisance and they were causing destruction of their own, hearing explosions in the near-distance as they were setting charges to destroy anything they found that would continue to assist Saren.

"Bomb is nearly there, Commander," Kaidan reported.

"Commander, we're pinned down by the second AA gun," Ashley added, "We're losing men and the geth are pushing us hard."

"Go and get her, Commander, I can take care of the bomb. Not long to go now."

Making our way to the second AA gun just about killed the lot of us. The geth and krogan were doing everything possible to prevent us making it to the salarians and Ashley. We pushed forward without taking a backward step. I could sense everyone tiring and I didn't blame them. We were only a team of five and we were fighting off hundreds of enemies.

Climbing up more stairs, I assumed we must have been near the top of the facility. And that's when the geth dropship appeared and we noticed geth units simply rain down all over the facility.

"This is impossible," Tali muttered, "We can't keep this up, Shepard."

She was right. She had already stopped twice to seal breaches to her suit. Wrex was bleeding heavily from more than one wound. Liara may have been a natural biotic, but she looked absolutely exhausted. Garrus was limping badly as he'd been caught by a krogan that had been hiding and nearly been killed.

I opened the channel to everyone. "We've got geth arriving across the facility. Unknown numbers. They're doing all they can to stop us."

"Then there's only one thing to do, Commander. I've armed the bomb. You've got enough time to get to Ashely and the salarians and get the hell out of here. I'll fight off the geth until you're gone."

"No, LT! I won't let you…"

"No, Ash. I won't let you be a martyr nor martyr those salarians. I'm only one man. I'm saving the many. Commander, make sure you get everyone out of here. I'll make sure this place is gone by the time you're in orbit."

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Chief Williams, we're headed your way. Lieutenant Alenko, don't let those bastards get close. Understand?"

"Affirmative, Commander. These geth bastards won't know what they're facing here."

We moved towards the AA tower, geth doing all they could to stop our progress. We were methodical in approach, combining all manner of attacks to cut a swathe through their lines. When we finally linked up with Ashley and the salarians, I could feel the relief from them as we joined forces and pushed forward. We both reported in that there had been no sign of Saren yet though we knew he was somewhere around.

Just as we were talking about him, the turian bastard appeared on a hoverboard. And he was powerful, flinging biotic attacks across our lines that sent all of us diving for cover.

"Excellent tactics, Commander. You almost had me fooled that the salarians were the main threat of the attack. But like everything you've tried so far, you've failed."

"Just give me one shot, Saren, and we can end this now."

"That won't happen, Commander. You have no real idea what's at stake here."

"Explain it then!" I demanded.

"You've interacted with the beacons. You've seen the visions. Of everyone here today, you should understand the threat the Reapers pose. The fact is they cannot be stopped. The Protheans tried to fight and they were utterly destroyed. Trillions of lives lost in a pointless endeavour. But what if this time it was different? Is submission not preferable to extinction?"

"Do you seriously believe that the Reapers will let us live? I've spoken to Sovereign. It told me about the cycles, the millions of years of destruction, of annihilation."

He shook his head. "And now you can see why I never approached the Council about everything that I've discovered. We're driven by emotion instead of logic. Even we turians with all our structure will still fight for a losing cause, knowing that in the end we cannot win. And we will not defeat the Reapers."

"What are you suggesting we do?"

"Make ourselves useful to the Reapers. If we make ourselves useful, think of the lives that could be spared."

"You think the Reapers will let anyone live?"

"Ah, you see, this is why I chose to join with Sovereign. It told me everything that it planned. I'm aware of the dangers that it poses. Of indoctrination. I'm sure you already know about that."

"Come on, Saren. You're already indoctrinated. It's obvious to everyone here because you're helping a Reaper bring about our destruction!"

"No, no, no, Commander. That's where you're wrong. I've studied the effects of indoctrination. You see, the more control that Sovereign exerts, the less capable that I'll become. It's a fine balancing act, but that is also my saving grace. Sovereign needs me, and that's why I will be allowed to survive."

I laughed. "You think a Reaper needs you? It's playing you for a fool."

"I'm not a fool! Sovereign needs me. I need to find the Conduit. My mind is still my own… for now… I know what Sovereign is capable of. But as long as it needs me, I will be safe. And I will not let it happen."

"Too late for that," Liara muttered nearby, "He's beyond salvation already, Shepard. He's already dead, he just doesn't know it yet."

"What's the Conduit, Saren? Why does Sovereign want it? Think of it this way, if you don't find the Conduit, then Sovereign is fucked."

"The Conduit is the key to your destruction and my salvation. The only reason I haven't been indoctrinated is that Sovereign needs my help to find it."

"Jesus wept, you are a complete idiot!" Wrex bellowed, "Even I can see that you helping this Reaper is sowing your own destruction. It only needs you for this task then it'll cast you off."

"What about the geth?" Tali asked, "Why are they following you?"

"I don't really care as they have their uses. I think they believe Sovereign is some sort of God. The pinnacle of their own evolution. Thing is, Sovereign is insulted by their behaviour. In the end, the geth are just tools for our joint objectives. Those who prove useful will be saved. We must ally ourselves with the Reapers."

I could have offered a fig leaf, perhaps convinced him that we could work together to stop them instead. But I knew that was a fool's errand. He was convinced that the Reapers would allow him to live. Sure, that might be the case in the end, but it was going to be a very lonely galaxy should that come to pass.

He continued to ramble on but it was obvious to everyone that he was delusional. He really thought that working with the Reapers would save billions of lives. My conversation with Sovereign had already proven that Saren was off the deep end, was well and truly indoctrinated. Trying to reason with him was absolutely pointless.

"You're a fucking coward, Saren. And not only are you a coward, you're a traitor. To the Council. To your people. And to the galaxy. And traitors are executed for their crimes."

I didn't even need to give an order as we opened fire. He fought back hard. His shields held up to sustained gunfire and his biotic power was off the charts. The only way to take him down was to use a blade and get in close. Most soldiers never carried knives, not any longer, but we did have something called an omni-blade. Could scythe through thick armour with ease.

"Cover me, I'm getting in close," I said.

Once I had a moment picked, I was up and charging towards him. He saw me coming and hurled a biotic attack at me. I rolled out the way and kept running. He noticed my blade just in time, using his pistol to knock my hand away. I staggered and he threw a fist at me. I ducked that and swung my blade again, a cut appearing across his chest.

"Enough!" he cried and he practically exploded with biotic power.

I came to with my back on the ground. I stood up with hands raised, readying to box with him if necessary. Another biotic attack and he froze me in place. He warned my companions as I felt his fingers around my neck. The strength he had was something he should not have had, another sign that he was no longer turian. He was something else, changed and moulded by Sovereign.

With his back turned, he tried lifting me up and dropping me over the ledge. Everyone fired at him, and it forced him to drop me. I took the pistol from my holster and fired at him again and again though nothing got through his shields. He retreated to his shield and disappeared from view.

"You've got to go, Commander. The bomb is about to go!" Kaidan shouted over the radio.

"Move it! Move it!" I waved to my squad as Joker arrived just in time.

We ran up the ramp into the cargo bay as I felt the Normandy take off into the sky. I asked Joker to remain nearby as I kept the channel open to Kaidan.

"Kaidan, you hear me?"

"Shepard, do me a favour. In my locker are two letters. One is for my dad. The other is for Rahna. Remember her? The girl at Jump Zero?"

"I remember. I'll get those letters to them."

"Shepard… It was an honour… Serving with the first human Spectre."

"I'll keep the channel open, Kaidan. Until the end…"

"I'm not sad, Shepard. It's been one hell of a ride. The only thing is… Get him for me… Get that bastard…"

"I will, Kaidan. You have my word."

Seconds later, the link went dead as a mushroom cloud slowly appeared in the distance. The ship was far enough away that it was unaffected by it. Sighing to myself, I turned and walked into the cargo bay. Major Kirrahe had lost men, and many others were wounded. He thanked me for saving their lives. The rest of my squad was waiting for me in the cargo bay. Ashley looked absolutely crestfallen.

"We're going to return to the Citadel immediately. Take all the time you need for the moment. Although I'll ask Joker to go directly, I think we're going to need…" I shook my head. "I'll need to write reports and communicate with people. My door will be open for any of you later."

"Shepard…" I met Liara's eyes. "We should meld later. I think the beacon… I think we can figure it all out."

"Of course, Liara. I know." The group parted though I gently grasped Ashley's hand and pulled her closer. "Ash…"

"I'm thankful, Shepard. I truly am. But Kaidan… He didn't deserve that. No one deserves that fate."

"That's why we're going to catch him. He got away this time. He won't next time." I paused and met her eyes. "I never make promises, Ash, simply because they cannot be kept. So, you'll have my word. We'll get him. We'll kill him. For Kaidan."

I returned to my quarters and wrote up a mission report. I kept it vague in some respects because I knew that I'd be talking to the Council upon my arrival back on the Citadel. After I sent it off to both the Council and the Alliance, I found myself in the communications room as I wanted to get on the front foot, and I knew Kira would be of at least some assistance.

"Shepard, I just received your message but…" She must have read my body language, leaning against the railing and barely able to meet her eyes. "Is it as bad as I fear?"

"Worse, Kira. A lot worse. It's all in the report but… You probably won't like reading it. And I know the reaction is going to be severe. I fear what Udina is going to try and do. I won't ask for help as I know you have your job to do but…"

"Let me know when you arrive in Widow. I'll come to the docks and meet you personally. I think you're going to need it. I might make a call or two as well."

"Thank you, Kira."

"Shepard…" I finally lifted my eyes to see her sad smile. "I love you."

I managed a slight smile of my own. "I know, Kira. I think the fact that I actually have people that love me will be what gets me through this now."

Dinner in the mess that evening was quiet until I insisted that we make each other laugh. It didn't quite work as we ended up sharing stories about Kaidan. It was amazing that our time together had been brief, only a couple of months, but his impact on our lives had been significant. Ashley had respected his quiet strength and dignity. I had appreciated that he didn't mind me using him as a sounding board, bouncing ideas off him and we'd usually come to agreement. Liara had enjoyed working alongside a fellow biotic. Tali had just found him to be a nice, charming man.

We would all miss him.

After I took a long shower, I was continuing with my work when Liara walked in wearing a robe that quickly disappeared.

"It's time, Shepard," she said softly.

Rising from my chair, I walked towards her and there was no hesitation in our kiss as the robe she wore quickly fell to the ground. My t-shirt and underwear hit the floor just after her robe as I felt her fingers grasp my cock. She smiled at feeling my hardness.

"Grief works in strange ways," I admitted, "I remember in the days after Elysium and then Torfan… I just went and fucked any woman who showed a sniff of interest. Fucking a beautiful woman just makes me feel alive."

"I've been ready for so long, Shepard. I've wanted this from the moment you walked into the med-bay to check on me after you rescued me. And after today… I feel the same as you…"

"Have you spoken to Ashley?"

"She's giving me this time with you. She needs you so much, Shepard. Your strength. She's carrying so much guilt because she was chosen."

"I sacrificed the few to save the many…"

"And she knows that. But it's difficult. I know you carry guilt too."

We moved onto the bed where I sat cross-legged. Liara hovered over me before she gently lowered herself onto my lap, my cock between us as she settled down and got comfortable. I kept my eyes on her as I could feel how nervous she was before we shared another kiss. It was while we were making out that she lifted herself and pressed my cock against her. After taking a deep breath, I felt my cock ever so slowly slide inside her.

"Fucking hell," I growled as she whimpered more than once as the head of my cock popped inside her first.

She took her time, allowing an inch or two every few seconds before she was settled with my cock completely inside her. She released a long moan as I felt her lean forward and rested her head against my shoulder.

"Okay?"

"I feel so full, Shepard. Goddess, what a wonderful feeling!"

Her enthusiastic reply made me chuckle. When she giggled in return, she leaned back as our eyes met and the smile on her face… She started to move up and down my cock as my hands caressed her back and moved down to her arse. We shared another passionate kiss as she whimpered into my mouth. I was wondering when she would start the meld.

"I want to feel you cum in me first," she finally said to my unasked question, "I know you'll stay hard inside me."

"I'll barely go down all night now, Liara. You feel wonderful."

"This is some sweet virgin asari pussy you're enjoying right now." I couldn't help but chuckle at her tone as she rested her head against my shoulder again. "I'm so glad you're my first, Shepard."

Admittedly, I didn't last too long as her pussy was just far too warm and tight that any man would have cum quickly inside her. When I warned her, she pushed her pussy down so my entire cock was inside her before I groaned and felt my cock erupt. I felt her arms and legs tighten around me as she kept moving her hips.

"That's it, Shepard… Straight to my womb…"

"Naughty…"

Once my orgasm passed, she rested her forehead against mine. "I'm now yours, Shepard. I'm bonded to you. We're going to have so many years together."

"I'm ready if you are."

Her eyes darkened before she whispered, "Embrace eternity."

I didn't feel her terror this time when we viewed the images together. We now understood what they meant. We understood the danger. We understood what they represented. We understood the fight that would come when they finally arrived. I knew they would come eventually. Even if we stopped Saren. Even if we stopped Sovereign. They were out there somewhere, and they would come for us one day. We needed to prepare for the fight.

She felt my determination and confidence. And I felt that she was calmed by it.

"Ilos, Shepard. That's where we must head. That's why Saren wanted to find the Mu Relay. It's the planet of Ilos."

"What makes it special?"

"I think it's the fact that we've never been able to find it. Other beacons have made mention of it and the suggestion was that it was an important world to the Protheans. No one has ever been able to figure out why though."

"Hopefully we'll be heading there after the Council."

"Shepard… I can feel your sadness… And your grief… I'm here for you."

"I know, Liara. I can't express anything out there. You know that. In here with you, this will be our special place, where you can understand and feel what I feel."

She gently broke the meld, and I found she was now on her back as we moved in unison, Liara rolling her hips as I knew she was moving like that, so her clit was being manipulated at the same time. We were making love when I heard the door open, turning to see Ashley at the doorway. Liara and I immediately gestured for her to join us, Ashley undressed and slid onto the bed within seconds. Liara turned to kiss her as I continued making love.

"He'll cum in me again then he can make you feel wonderful too," Liara stated softly.

Ashley seemed to enjoy watching us, and I even heard her chuckle when I growled as I sent a second load deep into Liara. What I didn't expect was when I pulled out and sat back on my knees that Ashley moved quickly to take my cock in her mouth before she positioned herself to start eating out Liara. Our asari lover didn't waste time pleasuring Ashley in return.

"Lube, Shepard," Ashley murmured, "Fuck my arse. I want to feel some pain right now."

"Ash…"

She looked up and met my eyes. "I want it, Shepard. Liara will pleasure my pussy. I need you in my arse. I need to feel alive, and having your big cock in my back passage will definitely make me feel alive."

Everyone moved about so I had easier access to Ashley, grabbing lube from nearby that I always kept handy for when the occasion warranted. I did spend a couple of minutes just watching my two lovers pleasure each other. Liara seemed to have an instinct for eating pussy. Ashley was certainly more enthusiastic than I would have thought considering she'd been adamant about her heterosexuality. Then again, the asari were monogendered, admitting that they only started referring to themselves in the feminine when meeting species with masculine and feminine.

Ashley gasped at the application of lube and moaned softly as I played with her arsehole. "Done this before?" I had to ask.

"Yes. If I was an anal virgin, I don't think I would ask considering your big dick, Shepard. I've never had anything your size back there, even a dildo. The only guy back there… He was tiny in comparison so I could handle it easily."

Pressing the head of my cock against her arsehole, Ashley stopped pleasing Liara and I think even our asari lover stopped to watch my cock slide inside Ashley. She was incredibly tight so I took at least a minute to slide just the head of my cock into her arse.

"Goddess, what a beautiful sight," Liara whispered, "You have such a wonderful arse, Ashley."

"He's totally getting yours later as well," Ashley replied.

Ashley resumed pleasing Liara as a distraction while I buried every inch of my cock inside her arse. Once I was buried, I moved to effectively mount her, my head next to hers as I watched Ashley devouring Liara's pussy. I was slowly thrusting into her as I didn't want to hurt Ashley at all though I knew my cock would be causing her a little bit of pain, even by the time she was used to it.

When I finally picked up the pace and really started to slam my cock deep into her arse, that made her grunt a few times and the whimpers told me that it was hurting her. She eventually had to stop pleasuring Liara though I knew Liara hadn't stopped pleasuring Ashley. When Ashley cried out, I knew it was from experiencing one hell of an orgasm. I had to stop moving and leave my cock buried as the grip of her arsehole around my cock was tighter than a vice.

"Oh fuck!" she cried out, "Holy shit, what an orgasm!"

"Good one, Ash?" Liara asked.

"You are wonderful at eating pussy, but Shepard's big cock in my arse is phenomenal. Keep fucking me, Shepard. I can't believe how good it feels."

I was thankful that I'd already cum twice in Liara as it allowed me time to keep fucking Ashley. She eventually wanted a different position, switching to her back with her ankles on my shoulders. Liara was content to lie next to us and watch as I really started to pound Ashley. She moaned, whimpered and begged me to keep fucking her. She was rubbing her pussy at the same time and came again.

Her hand ended up on the back of my head, feeling her legs widen enough so I could lean down to kiss her. We made out as I pumped her harder and harder, the look in her eyes suggesting that it was starting to hurt.

"Don't stop until you cum," she pleaded, "Then you need to pull out and hold me because I am going to fall apart."

"We'll both hold you, Ashley," Liara assured her.

I eventually came hard, almost growling as I continued to pump her arse as my cock filled her up. Ashley smothered my face in kisses before she whispered that she loved me. Liara whispered the same thing as I made sure to kiss them both. As soon as I felt my cock had nothing left, I pulled out as Ashley rolled onto her side, spooning her from behind as Liara cuddled her from the other side.

She didn't fall apart like I expected though she did cry. We held her tightly in her arms. Then Liara offered to meld with her, and Ashley accepted immediately. Whatever they did together worked as I felt Ashley calm down. Within seconds of breaking the meld, Ashley was asleep.

"We'll make sure the guilt doesn't weigh her down, Shepard," Liara stated.

I did my best for the rest of the journey back to the Citadel to ensure the atmosphere around the ship wasn't too sombre. I held a small remembrance service the next morning. Most of the crew had warm words to share. Then I put everyone back to work. I had no idea what was going to happen on the Citadel. I could take a guess, expect the worst and hope for the best.

But I was going to keep my word. I was going to get Saren.