Miranda gazed at me so lovingly that I nearly rolled her over onto her back and plunged my cock inside her. I'd done my usual thing of waking up early and wandering downstairs. She was still in bed though the invitation was always open for me to slide under the sheets and join her. She slowly woke up and moved closer to me, smiling while she was still half asleep as my fingers caressed her naked back. And then she opened her eyes…
"Morning," I whispered.
"Morning," she whispered back, "Are we near Illium?"
"Probably docking just after lunch."
I continued to caress her back as she happily snuggled into my chest. When I was with her like that, it reminded me of times on the old ship with Liara or Ashley, waking up early before I was due to actually rise and shine, and we'd lie in silence and enjoy the company of each other. She eventually turned over and spooned back against me, making sure I held one of her breasts as she wiggled her butt against my dick.
"Tease," I muttered.
"You enjoy it…"
I pulled her tighter and kissed her cheek. "I know you enjoy feeling something else." I gently squeezed a nipple and earned a soft moan. "And I didn't mean what I just did."
"Don't tease me… Though I know you're not thinking about anyone else when you're with me."
"Never with any lover, Miranda. When I'm with you, I'm only thinking about you. And I like making you laugh."
"I'm doing my best to, you know, rid myself of that reputation. But it's difficult because I'm simply not used to people liking me regardless. I've found a lot of women either intimidated or jealous of me. As for men, because of my looks… I'm sure that I don't need to explain." She turned her head to meet my eyes. "But you care about me because you see both inside and out."
"And you helped bring me back. Many would suggest that I could never thank you enough for that."
"Being here with you, just like this… That's thanks enough. I'm happy, Shepard. I've never come close to feeling like this in my life. Some would suggest that sounds rather sad, but I was always realistic. Cerberus gave me a chance, but in the end, it was only ever about how I could be used to the benefit of others."
"I want what is best for everyone here. I've helped Jack hopefully move on from her past. I've helped Garrus deal with someone who betrayed him. And I'll help you however I can, Miranda." She rolled over and hugged me tightly, feeling her leg resting on top of mine as she pressed her body into me. "If you think of anything, all you need to do is tell me," I added softly.
"More of this in the morning," she whispered, "Just me and you for a little while. We don't have to think about anything outside of this room."
"I can do that. And you're always invited up to my cabin."
"What would Kelly think?"
"I think she'd give us privacy… Though I'm sure you're also aware of the fact she's open-minded."
We only got out of bed when our stomachs started to grumble. Walking out of her quarters to be greeted by some of the team didn't shock anyone any longer. They knew we were close though I did wonder if Kelly or Kasumi would hover near the door and hope to hear sounds of us making love. I knew it would arouse Kelly and give Kasumi something to gossip about. I hadn't missed that the team had warmed to Miranda. Tali was still relatively new in comparison and kept her at arm's length, but everyone else was friendly with her.
"Want to come and see Liara?" I asked Tali.
I think she started to blush, remembering one of our previous conversations that was rather suggestive about what Tali would like to enjoy with us. But they hadn't seen each other in a couple of years, and they'd been incredibly close. "Garrus should come too," Tali suggested.
"What do you say, big guy?"
"Sure. We didn't have much time to talk last time we were here."
"Yeah, she was too busy fucking him," Jack stated, "I mean, he was gone for two days and nights and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why."
"I also have a recruit to locate," I said, "So it's not all fun and games. I'd like to deal with the recruitment first before I worry about my personal life. I'll take a couple of you with me to start with. But knowing our luck when it comes to recruitment… Although I guess Liara might know who I'm looking for."
"There we go, ask her for information, fuck her, then go find the recruit," Jack suggested in humour.
I was dressed casually for our arrival on Illium though carried my pistol and shield pack. With no idea how long we would be there, I knew that some of the crew might want to get off the ship, echoing my previous warning about what they got up to while wandering around Nos Astra. Garrus and Tali were with me as we headed towards Liara's office. Zara's face lit up upon seeing me, gesturing for me to enter. Nyxeris jerked her head as I approached.
Walking into Liara's office, she was sitting back in her chair, feet up on the desk as she was in conversation with someone. As soon as she saw me, she begged off the call and was in my arms within seconds, feeling her legs around me as she left kisses all over my face. We heard the chuckles of Garrus and Tali behind me, Liara lowering herself to the floor before she first walked towards Garrus and hugged him tightly.
"It's been a long time," Liara stated.
"It has," Garrus agreed, "I would have thought you'd return to digging in the dirt. Didn't believe that you'd end up somewhere like this."
"Everything is for the Reapers. We're not prepared, Garrus. Nowhere near prepared for their arrival. We got lucky against Saren. I don't think we'll be that lucky again."
Liara moved over towards Tali and the hug they shared was affectionate. "So good to see you again, Liara," Tali stated softly.
"You too, Tali. I missed you a lot. I know that I wasn't the only one who hoped you might have stayed… Although given what happened…"
"At least we're back together. Mostly. How are things for you, Liara?"
"Let's talk about it over a meal. Are you hungry?"
"We haven't had lunch as I was hoping to take you out," I replied.
"Good as I've got a couple of surprises for you while you're here, Shepard," she told me cryptically.
"I'm hoping to get some information while I'm here too," I replied as we wandered out of her offices and into the crowds, Liara leading the way as I knew she'd find somewhere nice for us to eat, "We're looking for someone."
"Who?"
"I'm looking for an asari justicar by the name of Samara."
That brought Liara to a halt and the look she gave me was concerning. "Shepard… Are you sure you want to do that?"
"Why?" I asked carefully.
"Justicars are… They are dangerous, Shepard. Similar to Spectres in many ways, the difference being that justicars have no oversight whatsoever. You still report to the Council even though you can complete a mission however you see fit. The only thing that binds a justicar is their code."
"If you're warning me, I'm guessing…"
"Yes, I know exactly who you are after. I have not met her, and I have no desire to ever meet a justicar. I have good reason to think that if a justicar showed up at my office, she would be there to kill me. But if she's on Illium, it must be an important mission. Justicar's rarely leave asari space. Illium might be a colony world but is outside the bounds of the Asari Republics."
"Spirits, Shepard, who do you have us chasing down now?" Garrus muttered to himself.
"I can only urge caution, Shepard," Liara stated as we resumed walking, feeling her hand take mine, interlacing our fingers and I just knew she was smiling to herself, "Though given what you're like, I'm sure you'll win her over to your cause. The only thing she would request is that her mission is completed. It would be part of her code."
Liara found a restaurant that served food that all of us could eat. Conversation flowed easily and it was like the past two- and a-bit years hadn't happened. Garrus was in a far better mood since we'd dealt with Sidonis. Tali was happy to be flying with me again though she spent most of her time asking Liara numerous questions about her life since they'd last seen each other. I was happy to take a back seat and listen to the conversation.
My two companions knew that I wanted to spend some time alone with Liara after we finished our meal and enjoyed a couple of drinks at the adjoining bar. Garrus and Tali were happy enough to go for a wander before returning to the ship, noticing that Tali hugged Liara for a little while, and I saw the smile on Liara's face that she loved seeing her friend again in return.
As soon as we were back in her office, she locked the door and kissed me hard. The look in her eyes told me what to expect as she turned her back to me and walked towards her desk. She lifted up her dress and lowered her panties down to her knees before leaning over her desk.
"Give me a load for now, Shepard," she stated, "I do have to do more work before I can finish for the day."
I wasn't going to say no, and I had my cock buried inside her seconds later. It was a hard, fast fuck, Liara ending up lying her upper half flat on the desk as I pounded her without a single thought except that I wanted to cum inside her. When I gave each of her firm cheeks a spanking, she loved that even more, begging to her Goddess for me to just pound her senseless. By the time I buried my cock and came inside her, I felt her pussy squeezing it as I knew she was close to an orgasm. Reaching around and fondling her clit, I kept pumping her until I made her cry out in pleasure.
I pulled out and then ripped off her panties, Liara turning around and blushing before she kissed me hard again. Placing her ruined panties in my pocket, she leaned back and laughed to herself. "So now I'm going to leaking until later," she stated.
"That was the point."
"You'll come and stay with me tonight?"
"That was my plan. You've given me the details on Samara. I'll deal with that tomorrow morning."
She walked around her desk and sat down, typing away at her terminal for a few seconds before she keyed her Omni-tool. Mine dinged as she must have sent me information.
"Two things, Shepard. One is about Shiala. She's been visiting Illium quite often. One, she comes to see me. Two, she's helping the people of Feros obtain medical treatment. Some of them have been suffering issues in the recent past, likely due to what the Thorian did to them. The second is about Gianna. Remember her?"
"Never forgotten any of my lovers, Liara. Trust me on that one."
"She works for me now."
"What?!"
Liara smiled at me. "I didn't tell you last time about any of this because, I'll be blunt, last time was about me." I smiled and it made her blush as I understood exactly what she meant. "Gianna left Noveria not long after dealing with Anoleis. I think you opened her eyes to perhaps something better being out there. When I established this business, I reached out to her and offered her a position. There are plenty of issues to investigate in Nos Astra that she can solve."
"Is Shiala here at the moment?"
"I've just sent her a very simple message. 'Shepard is here on Illium'. She'll arrive here tomorrow. You can see her after you recruit Samara, I reckon. Gianna is working though she'll be here in around… two minutes…"
Her timing was just about right. Liara was on a phone call as I relaxed on one of her couches nearby. Gianna knocked on the door and strode in. Liara gestured with her head towards me. Gianna turned slowly and she was ready to cry as I rose to my feet to greet her. That first hug was something else, feeling her shaking slightly.
"She told me, and I believed her. But now that you're actually here…"
"It's good to see you too. It's been a long time since Noveria."
"Too long," she whispered, "I tried dating after you left because I knew that I wasn't the problem. But I never felt that connection like we shared. Then Liara got in touch and it got me off Noveria. Can't say I enjoy everything that Illium has to offer, but Liara's been a good friend."
I glanced at Liara to see her smiling at us. "And you've proven a good friend in return, Gianna. You two should head off and catch up. I'll message you when I've finished for the day, Shepard."
Gianna and I eventually spent a couple of hours catching up on our lives. She explained that after bringing down Anoleis, she was actually a woman in demand. And after spending so long on Noveria, she admitted to growing bored in the role and admittedly a little tired of all the bullshit. She'd left Noveria and had actually returned to Earth when Liara had touched base with her and offered her a job. Although she had enjoyed being back on Earth, she preferred living elsewhere around the galaxy. She did remember Liara from our visit to Noveria though hadn't known about her new role until walking into her office. Once Liara offered her a role, Gianna accepted it immediately.
"I know you're intimate with her," Gianna added, "Her love for you was easy to hear in her voice. And all the photos around her apartment. And the photo that takes pride of place on her desk."
"We only became really close after our time together. There was affection and an attraction, but it took a long time for intimacy to begin."
"I'm aware you have a modern relationship in that you both sleep with other women."
"I'd be a hypocrite if I thought otherwise. Funny thing is, none of my lovers want to be with other men. But given that women don't consider themselves as being a lesbian if they sleep with asari…"
"Well, I've been with an asari and while they might have a pussy, they are only one gender so…" I met her eyes, and she gave me a look that I should have figured out already. "She was lonely and so was I. And Liara would have told you anyway."
"What Liara did while I was basically dead shouldn't concern me anyway. Even now, she's living here on Illium while I'm off doing other things, and sleeping with other women and asari, and I wouldn't expect her to remain celibate. But like you just said, I know she's not interested in other men. Are you single?"
"Yeah. You kind of ruined all other men for me, Shepard. I'll be honest about the fact that Liara and I have had a few nights together though that was before you turned up alive. When I say it was just sex, I'm being honest."
"What would you like to happen, Gianna?"
"Right now? Just to be your friend. If you come to Illium, I'd like to see you. But I'm not getting in the way of Liara. Not a chance. That asari, Shepard… There's love, and then there's love…"
"Yeah, I get what you mean."
We enjoyed a couple of drinks though didn't have a meal as I figured Liara would want to have dinner with either me or both of us later. Gianna wanted to know what I was up to, aware that I was dealing with the Collectors though wanted all the juicy details. She was definitely aroused when I mentioned the list of women and asari that I'd been with since waking up. She thought Kelly sounded absolutely perfect for me, a young, beautiful woman eager to just fuck whenever we were horny. I suggested that she should meet my team before I left so she could get to know some of them.
Liara finally got in touch in the early evening and gave us an address where we could meet her for dinner. She'd changed into a gorgeous dress that highlighted her bust, her hips and her arse, and was short enough to show off plenty of leg. She'd also changed her shoes so she added a little height.
"Shepard, I'm going to put this bluntly. This asari is giving you the signal that she wants to fuck tonight," Gianna stated, chuckling to herself, "Am I invited to dinner, or should I make myself scarce?"
"Of course you're invited. But he's coming back to mine tonight. Alone."
"Heard loud and clear, boss."
It was obvious to my eyes within a couple of minutes that the two had grown close and were very good friends. I couldn't help smiling more than once as I was glad that Liara didn't feel lonely. I knew she had a lot of people who worked for her, but friendships didn't always form with people you worked with.
Liara and Gianna enjoyed a couple of drinks though not too many. Liara had ordered the dishes, and they were all excellent. Gianna mentioned while we were eating that she'd also found the pleasure in asari dishes though she would still crave things like a good cheeseburger and fries and other foods from back home.
When it came time to part, the pair shared a warm hug before Gianna turned towards me and moulded herself into my body. I kissed her cheek and whispered how happy I was to see her again. All she said in reply was that she felt exactly the same way.
Liara dragged me into her apartment a couple of minutes later and pushed me in the chest, so I plopped back onto the couch. She turned on some music and performed one hell of a strip tease for me until she was naked except for her heels before me. She turned around and walked away towards her bedroom, my eyes fixed onto her arse before she turned and beckoned for me to follow.
I stripped off between the couch and the bedroom door, Liara sitting back on the edge of the bed, her eyes filled with lust as I approached her. I stood before her, my cock hard and proud, and I could see in her eyes that she wanted everything that night. Nothing held back this time. When she made to grasp my cock, I pushed her hand away.
"Beg for it, T'Soni," I growled as I stepped back, "You want it. Beg for it."
She lowered herself to her knees and gazed up at me. Love and lust all in one simple look. "I love you so fucking much, Shepard. I will do anything to get that big dick of yours inside me again. Tell me what you want, and I'll do it."
It was said so earnestly that I joined her on the floor. She smiled at me before we kissed, and when I felt her fingers grasp my cock, I growled which only made her giggle. We made out for a few minutes as she slowly stroked me while my hands eventually grabbed her arse and pulled her into me. I teased her rosebud, something that made her moan softly, before I lifted us both up and placed her back on the bed.
She shuffled back just enough so I could join her on the bed, spreading her legs wide and I just dove into her pussy. "Goddess, Shepard!" she cried out as I could sense that she was so aroused that it wasn't going to take long. I gazed up her chest to see it already rising and falling quickly. She played with her breasts as I focused on making her cum.
I placed my hands underneath her knees and pushed her legs as wide and far back as possible, her pussy completely exposed. I licked down towards her arsehole at the same time, making her shudder each time my tongue passed over her rosebud, my main focus remaining on her pussy. Her first orgasm arrived within a couple of minutes. I was left thinking she'd been teasing herself for hours while I was with Gianna.
When the first orgasm tore through her body, I think I almost had juices flowing like the Niagara from her pussy, she was so excited. And she knew that I wasn't going to stop, whimpering her way towards another orgasm as my hands remained where they were under her knees, only my tongue doing all the work. I devoured her and loved every second. She eventually placed her hands where mine were so I could get a couple of fingers inside her where they would work a real charm.
"Oh Goddess!" she moaned as her hips really started to buck against my tongue and fingers, "Oh fuck, Shepard… What are you doing…"
Her next orgasm was equally as epic, and I decided to up it even further by using one of my free fingers to tease her rosebud. That had her head lifting up to gaze down at me as I smiled at her. I didn't slide a finger inside her arse though I knew she was interested in it. And a lot more…
When I finally relented and slowly kissed up her body, the smile waiting to greet me had me grinning like an idiot back at her. We shared a soft kiss as she moaned softly, feeling the head of my cock gently rubbing against her. I knew she needed a minute or two to recover, waiting for her to meet my eyes and give me that smile that I'd seen plenty of times to let me know that she was ready.
"Fuck," I groaned as I slowly slid inside her. I could feel her pussy squeezing my cock as I slid inside her, seeing the smile on her face and I knew she was doing it to make it feel even better. Once I was buried, we shared another kiss as our bodies started to move together.
It started out nice and slow, what we would have both considered lovemaking, our hands exploring each other's bodies and constantly making out. When she moved her legs, bending at the knees and pressing them against my side, she moaned louder as I felt even deeper. I met her eyes and she knew what was coming.
"Fuck me," she moaned, "Give me all you got this time, Shepard."
Liara got everything that I could give her. My cock was soon slamming her though I slowed down whenever I could see it was getting uncomfortable. She would give me a kiss and tell me to keep going. When her ankles ended up over my shoulders and I had her legs pushed back so her knees were almost touching her shoulders, she whimpered more than once as I pumped my cock into her.
"Goddess… I forgot how good this was… Just fucking me hard…"
"I like to think I corrupted the innocent archaeologist…"
"Definitely. Once I finally got your big dick inside me, I was yours."
I'll be honest, I think she was a little relieved when I finally came inside her, letting her legs go and feeling her shake them before they ended up wrapped around me. It was an intense orgasm, my head resting next to hers on the pillow as I sucked in a few deep breaths. Her fingers stroked my back before I finally met her eyes again and kissed her softly on the lips.
I pulled out and gave her a moment to relax though she immediately turned onto her side and cuddled into me. We lay in silence for a few minutes as I held her in my left arm, the fingers of her left hand caressing my chest. Once her hand started to move further south, she kissed me at the same time, laughing lightly as I felt her fingers gently grasp my cock. She was happy to feel it harden within a few seconds.
"I remember how hard you were for me all the time back on the old ship," she whispered, "I knew about males, and they had a penis, but when I realised that I excited you so much…"
"I was on a ship with you and Ashley. I was constantly aroused. You have no idea how adorable you were to me. This innocence that I genuinely didn't want to corrupt. I just wanted to protect you from the galaxy. I realise that I was wrong about you…"
"You weren't, Shepard," she whispered, lifting herself up to straddle my lap, "I had to become this precisely because you were gone. If you hadn't left for a little while, I'd still love nothing more than heading to a dig site with my handsome Spectre to protect me, getting my hands dirty every day before getting very dirty in our large tent at night."
"You miss it?"
"When all this is over, I mean the Reapers and what is to come, I want to be that again. A simple life is what I want, Shepard." She lifted herself up and moaned as my cock slowly slid back inside her. "I'm only doing what I'm doing now because it must be done. You will do what you're best at. And I've impressed even myself with what I'm doing now."
I held her hips as she started to move. "As long as you're safe," I stated.
She opened her eyes and smiled. "I know my handsome Spectre will come and protect me if I wasn't."
"In a heartbeat, Liara. I think you'd be incredibly safe if we were in the same bed."
"And this big dick was inside me constantly?"
"That would definitely help keep you safe."
Liara rode herself to more than one orgasm, the smile on her face rarely fading except for when she needed to moan or make an exclamation to the Goddess. And she liked to do that a lot whenever we were making love. She eventually leaned forward with a hand to either side of me as I bent my legs to create a better angle and started to pump her. I loved gazing into her eyes when she was in that moment.
"Want to meld?" I asked and I think it caught her by surprise.
"Not tonight. Tonight is about this. It's real." She kissed me hard as I grabbed her arse and really started to pump into her. "Goddess, Shepard… I missed this so much. I remember making love every night on Ilos and then on the ship. I'd be feeling tingles all day from how good it was."
"We can have that feeling again in the future."
She slid off my body after I came inside her again, spooning back against me once I was lying on my side. And that's how we fell asleep a little later as although we enjoyed making love, sometimes we just wanted to be together in bed. Naked, but not needing anything else. She felt me stir the next morning when I woke up early like always, turning around and snuggling into my chest. She whispered for me to stay as she was always up early herself.
We made love before we got out of bed. She knew I was staying on Illium for at least one more night though knew once Shiala arrived that her now good friend would monopolise a lot of my time.
"She talks about you all the time, Shepard," Liara told me when we sat down for breakfast, "If you were to offer her the chance to help now, she wouldn't hesitate. All she'll need is to get her stuff from Zhu's Hope back on Feros."
I escorted Liara to her office and shared a last kiss. She told me that she'd message me when Shiala arrived. I returned to the Normandy having messaged Miranda that I was returning and for everyone to be ready for our next mission. I wasn't taking everyone as Mordin would remain in the shop to carry on his experiments. He loved the laboratory on the ship and found he had plenty of time to do whatever his heart desired. Kasumi had learned about what a justicar could do and wanted to keep her distance. Jack also had a criminal past though admitted she didn't give a shit what a justicar thought.
As we were preparing to depart, Liara sent me an update on Samara's exact position. She also sent word that a justicar like Samara was not welcome on Illium and the local police force were considering arresting her. I didn't think that would go well if justicars were as tough as I'd been told. We boarded the shuttle, and it flew us quickly to the spaceport where Samara had last been seen.
There were police officers everywhere. All of them asari. Some of them glanced at me and my team. I think one or two recognised me immediately as their faces absolutely lit up with smiles. I heard a few chuckles from behind me at the reaction as I made my way to an asari seated nearby. She glanced up from the pile of datapads in front of her and sighed. Whether she recognised me or not, I don't think she wanted to see a Spectre. I gestured for my team to sit back as I talked to her.
"Can I help you?" she asked wearily before she looked me up and down. "You look familiar."
"Commander Shepard. And you are?"
"Detective Anaya. I've heard rumours of your return, Shepard. Not all of them good. And now you're here. I'm wondering as to why."
"I'm looking for a justicar by the name of Samara."
The look of concern almost had me chuckling. It seemed Samara being present nearby had ruffled a lot of feathers. "Have you got some sort of score to settle with her? I'd advise caution if that is the case."
"Why would I… Never mind. I'm hoping to speak to her about a mission that I'm currently undertaking. I'm hoping that she might be able to help me. Heard of the Collectors?"
"Who hasn't? What's been happening to your colonies has spread across the galaxy. It's why I'm surprised that you're here."
"I'm building a team to go beyond the Omega Four. I've been informed that Samara is a powerful warrior and would be a great addition to my team."
"Justicars usually work alone, Shepard, though they can be drawn to impossible causes."
"Well, I think she'll be quite interested in this one. Can I go and speak with her?"
"Sure. She's at the nearby crime scene. If you can get her out of here as soon as possible, I'd be rather grateful."
"Why's that?"
"My bosses want me to detain her. And I know her code would not allow that to happen. She seems incredibly interested in this crime and I'm not going to stop her. But my bosses think she's capable of causing a cross-species incident. A volus has been killed, another seems to be involved, then you've got mercenaries and…"
"Was it a murder?"
"That's what my gut is telling me and the evidence so far points in the direction of the Eclipse. To be honest, I think everyone involved in this crime is dirty and the volus was just on the wrong end of a bad deal."
"Do you know why she's so interested in this crime?"
"No idea, and that's what has everyone on edge. She's probably rarely been out of asari space, but to take such interest in a crime like this? Maybe it's something bigger. I don't know. But to be honest, I just want her gone as quickly as possible."
I thanked the detective and joined my group. They'd heard bits and pieces of the conversation, and I heard more than one comment about just what the hell I'd gotten us involved in. I suggested that we remain cautious when approaching Samara. If she was as dangerous as everyone suggested, she might not take kindly to a heavily armed group approaching her.
We followed the trail of Samara and ended up in a brief firefight with a few Eclipse mercenaries. Although we handed them with ease, a half dozen bodies eventually littering the ground, I knew it was probably going to draw the attention of the police officers that we'd passed only a couple of minutes earlier.
The alleyways were crawling with mercenaries and others who probably did not like authority showing up though anyone not in yellow was wise enough not to get in our way, slinking back into the shadows and other alleyways, doing their best not to draw our attention. A few Eclipse noticed our progress and did their best to stop us. Naturally, they failed.
What drew our attention next was more than one cry of pain, walking through a doorway to be greeted by an asari flying through the air and smacking into a wall with a sickening crunch. I checked to see it was an Eclipse mercenary, the empty eyes staring up at us suggesting that her neck had been broken. Our eyes were then taken by movement nearby, the shouts of an Eclipse mercenary while another asari, glowing in a biotic aura, walking rather menacingly towards her in return.
"Definitely a matriarch," I muttered to myself, "She reminds me of Tessia in a couple of ways."
"What? Long legs and what appears to be a great set of tits?" Garrus joked next to me.
"She definitely wears that to distract. Cleavage to the extreme," Miranda added. I glanced at her, down at what she was wearing, before I met her eyes again. She just smiled and gestured towards Samara. "Going to intervene or…"
"Hell no. Let's just stay back until she does whatever she needs."
The way she flung the Eclipse mercenary across the room even had Jack whistling in appreciation. Samara floated to the ground floor using her biotics. Her movements were incredibly graceful as she approached the Eclipse mercenary now flailing about on the ground. Samara stood over her, foot now to the neck of the mercenary. She asked a simple question, didn't get the answer she wanted, and easily snapped the neck with a twist of her boot.
She then seemed to notice our presence. I approached her cautiously, gesturing for everyone else to keep their distance and definitely not reach for any of their weapons. She seemed curious as to why we were there. I honestly couldn't take my eyes off her as she reminded me of Tessia and Benezia in more than one way.
"My name is Samara, a servant of the Justicar Code," she stated with authority, "My quarrel is with these Eclipse sisters, but I see a group of well-armed people before me." She stepped towards me, and it took all my willpower to keep my eyes on her as I wanted to check out that chest. Shoot me if you want, but I'm a man, and I like boobs. "Are we friend? Or foe?"
"Definitely friends. I'm Commander Shepard…"
I heard more than just Miranda start to laugh behind me when the slightest of smiles broke her rather serious demeanour. "I've heard a lot about you, Commander. I'm honoured. But what is it you need from me.?"
"I'm on a mission to save humanity from the Collectors. The people you see behind me are part of my team and I've been told that you're one of the best warriors in the galaxy. I need the best with me when it comes to taking on suicidal odds. I'm hoping that you may be willing to join me."
"I am humbled that someone of your stature approaches me with such a request, Commander…"
"Call me Shepard."
More laughter behind me. I wasn't flirting with her. I just preferred to be called Shepard considering that I didn't hold the rank of 'Commander' any longer. Samara glanced at those behind me before her incredibly blue eyes looked back at me.
"The problem is that I currently seek an incredibly dangerous fugitive, Shepard."
I gestured at the nearby mercenary lying dead on the floor. "And I'm guessing she didn't give you the information that you required?"
"No. I had the fugitive cornered here, but the Eclipse managed to smuggle her off-world. I need the name of the ship she left on before the trail goes cold."
"How can we help?"
"A volus merchant. He might not have the name of the ship, but he is tied to all this. I recommend we interrogate him and move from there." Samara then looked over my team. "I do not believe we will need all these people, Shepard. With you and me… Select three more. A smaller team will work faster."
"I'll take the advice. Let's walk back and get things organised."
Despite what I'd been told, Samara was inquisitive about my mission and also about me personally as we walked back the way that we'd come. Detective Anaya was pleased to see that it looked like Samara was ready to leave. I explained what was happening. Anaya slumped back in her chair as I think she knew what was about to happen. There was going to be a small war between me, Samara and our small team against the Eclipse.
"I need that information, Detective. The fugitive that I am tracking is more dangerous than you could ever imagine."
"He's a Spectre and you're a justicar. I'm not going to stand in your way. Just try not to hurt anyone innocent."
"We won't, Detective," Samara replied kindly, "My Code dictates that I must act just at all times."
Given that we would likely be dealing with Eclipse mercenaries, and Samara concluded that most of them would be asari given that we were on Illium, I figured that having those with biotic abilities would probably be best though I'd always want someone covering my back. I think Amelie was surprised that I chose her, suggesting to Garrus that he take Tali and go see Liara to keep her up to date with what I was doing. Amelie couldn't stop smiling as I kept Miranda and Jack with me given their biotic talents.
I'd already talked to Pitne For, the volus merchant, but when I approached him with Samara alongside me, I think he almost shit himself with fear. We barely had to make a threat before he was spilling his guts about just what he'd been up to. I thought Samara would have killed the volus then and there, but she let it go when the volus gave us a pass card into the Eclipse base.
"I'll leave you to be dealt with by the police," she warned the volus, "Consider yourself fortunate this time."
I'd already seen how powerful Samara was. What we'd seen was merely a preview of what she could do. To be honest, we didn't really need to be there with her though I could sense at least a modicum of enjoyment when she combined attacks with Miranda and Jack. She complimented both on their own biotics, particularly impressed by Jack's power and control. I don't think Jack knew how to take such a compliment as I wasn't the only one to see her blushing slightly.
As we were infiltrating their base, the Eclipse was there in number. They had plenty of mechs to send our way. They were little more than cannon fodder. When it came to Eclipse themselves, Samara knew enough about them to point out those who were only Initiates. Samara had no problem killing any of them when she mentioned that any Initiate earned their uniform by committing murder.
When we found a lone mercenary hiding in a side room, if it hadn't been for Samara, I'm not sure what I would have done as she might have convinced me that she was innocent enough about what she thought life as a mercenary would be like. But she was wearing the uniform of the Eclipse. She was an Initiate. Samara showed no mercy, particularly after Elnora had mentioned that she'd helped get an Ardat-Yakshi off-world. That term meant nothing to be me, but Samara's reaction…
"Okay, what's an Ardat-Yaskhi, Samara?"
Samara wouldn't meet my eyes for a moment. "I will explain it to you later, Shepard. I owe you that much. Most asari think they are nothing but superstition, a night-time story to scare little asari in their beds. I can assure you they are very real, very dangerous, and that is why I must catch her."
"More dangerous than you?" I had to ask.
That's when she met my eyes. "My Code is why I take life. For the asari that I'm chasing, killing is something entirely different."
"Jesus, just who the fuck do you have us chasing, Shepard?" Jack asked, and I think she was only half-joking.
The Eclipse came in waves in their efforts to stop and kill us. We didn't get through unscathed. Jack took a wound on her arm. Miranda was grazed by a bullet at her hip. Amelie was generally working from distance though would take out her assault rifle and get close when necessary. As for Samara, she remained as graceful in battle as she was when simply walking along. It was difficult not to find her a little distracting.
We found evidence that Pitne For was a drug smuggler. Samara suggested that we simply give it to Detective Anaya so she could arrest him and press charges. We did come across another volus in a drug haze. To all our surprise, he seemed to have gained biotic abilities though he was so high, he was spouting gibberish. As he was harmless, I suggested that he just go and sleep it off. Thankfully, he agreed and wandered off in the direction of where we'd come from.
In his stupor, the volus had mentioned that the leader of the Eclipse on Illium was an asari by the name of Captain Wasea.
"I am not worried about an asari commando. That is likely what she will be," Samara stated, "She will have the information we need. She can either tell us or it will be somewhere near her."
Samara strode in without a care in the world as Captain Wasea didn't give us any attention until we were only a few metres away from her. She was sipping at a drink and reading a datapad, finally looking up and apparently amused at our appearance before her. Considering we'd just spent an hour or two wiping out most of her mercenaries and mechs, I guess she was hoping to either talk her way out of the situation or perhaps was confident enough in her abilities to fight us off.
"Everything's gone to hell since we smuggled that filthy creature off-world," she stated, "But if you think that I'm worried about fighting you, Justicar…"
"And Shepard," I added with a grin, "I mean, I'm sure I have a reputation too."
"You're helping a justicar?" That made Wasea laugh out loud for some reason. "I've heard you spend most of your time trying to fuck asari."
"Well, she's not wrong there, Shepard," Miranda murmured.
"Give me what I need, Captain Wasea, and there be no need for more bloodshed," Samara offered.
Wasea didn't believe her. To be honest, I think Samara had been honest. She just wanted the information. Wasea didn't want to cooperate, and she stupidly went on the attack. Samara wanted to take care of it alone and I had no problem with her doing that. Wasea was powerful, I'll give her credit for that. But I reckoned that Samara had centuries of experience. I would definitely need to talk to her later about her life as a justicar, the training that she'd taken and what else she'd given up becoming one.
It was a battle of biotics and Wasea wilted in the face of Samara's power. I'll admit that I found her arousing. The power. The grace. The sheer force of nature that she was. What I already knew was that her Code meant everything. She worked alone. I doubt she even cared for relationships. A shame, really, as she seemed as single-minded as me when it came to taking care of business.
When Wasea finally dropped dead, Samara didn't hesitate to seek the information that she was looking for. That's when we stepped forward and helped her, Miranda was the one to find a datapad that gave us the name of the ship. Satisfied that she had what she needed, Samara suggested that we head back to the detective, give her any information that we'd found, and that she would be happy to leave Illium with me.
Detective Anaya was pleased to see us in one piece because she knew that meant we'd taken care of the Eclipse, and that Samara would now be leaving. Despite her fear of Samara, Anaya rose from her chair and performed a small bow, thanking Samara for her service and stating that it was always an honour for a justicar to visit. Samara appreciated the sentiment.
"If you're ready, Samara, we can return to my ship and I can introduce you to the rest of the team," I suggested.
"Before we do that, Shepard, there is something I must do. I must be sworn to your service, so that I am never forced to choose between your orders and the Code," she explained.
"I mean, I don't…" Anaya gave me a look and shook her head.
I shut up as Samara took a knee before me, fists on the ground, and a blue aura surrounded her again. "By the Code, I will serve you, Shepard. Your choices are my choices. Your morals are my morals. Your wishes are my code." She glowed even brighter for a few seconds before she slowly rose to her feet, and I think gave me a slight smile.
"I never thought I'd see a justicar swear an oath like that to another spe… I mean a human," Anaya stated.
"I give you one warning, Shepard. If you make me do anything extremely dishonourable during this mission, I may need to kill you when I am released from my oath," Samara said, her eyes unblinking as she met mine.
"I'm rather honoured you would swear such an oath to me, Samara. I'll ensure that I respect that honour."
That earned the first real smile. "The life of a justicar can get lonely. I admit, I am looking forward to serving with a company of honourable heroes. Shall we return to your ship?"
"Not a bad idea. It'll allow you time to get settled and meet with the others. I'm sure many would be quite intrigued by having someone of your stature on our ship though I think most of us won't know anything about justicars."
The trip back to the ship was amusing as it was Jack who actually had the most questions for Samara. I think what helped Samara understand was Jack's forthright honesty about her past, the fact she'd been left fucked up and turned to crime, but since she'd joined with my ship, it wasn't just myself that had helped her move on and perhaps find a better path in life. Samara did keep most of her cards close to her chest, keeping most of her explanations rather vague. And I got the sense that she wasn't ready to talk about who she was chasing at all. I had a feeling that was going to be a private conversation for later.
Kelly fell in love with Samara immediately. In a platonic, respectful way. But I knew Kelly well and she was smitten in more ways than one. Samara definitely found it amusing and happily followed Kelly while I thanked Miranda, Jack and Amelie for their help. Miranda kissed me then Jack did the same before they walked to the elevator. Amelie started to blush before she stepped a little closer.
"We haven't had a lot of alone time, Shepard," she said softly, "To talk and… I know you're busy and that you do have other women… I will be blunt. I find you rather attractive, physically and emotionally. I would like us to grow closer."
"Of course. I'll admit this is the one problem I knew I'd face with a ship full of women and asari. We all might be interested in each other, but there's only one of me, and even though I think you're all beautiful and I'd love nothing more than to have fun with every single one of you…"
"What I think you need to understand me is know my story. When we leave Illium, perhaps we can spend a night talking?"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea."
I wandered down to the Med-Bay as something came to mind and I felt sick to the stomach. When I walked in and Chakwas looked up at me, she started to laugh as she rose to her feet and immediately had both of her hands on my chest. "Shepard…"
"I fucking forgot, Karin. I'm so sorry!"
She hugged me tightly which did catch me by surprise. "Shepard, I know you went to see three incredibly important women in your life. As I knew you'd be doing that, I had a wonderful time with some of the girls. We can grab dinner together whenever we're on the Citadel. Trust me when I say that I wasn't hurt or put out."
"Are you sure?" That earned me a soft kiss on the cheek, and I hugged her a little tighter. "I am sorry. I'm just so distracted and…"
She made sure I was meeting her eyes before she spoke. "Shepard, I know that whenever we're here on Illium, Liara is going to be the one you will be with nearly all of the time. When we're on the Citadel, it's going to be Kira, Naira or Jane. When we're here on the ship, I'm not blind to the affection that Miranda has for you. Jack looks at you and simply glows nowadays. Tali has already been in to talk to me about you and her making love. Kasumi has a crush that I'm not sure you're fully aware of. Triss and Leliana are probably a little shy at the moment and perhaps see you with the others and don't think they have a chance. And Kelly… She's living out her fantasy every single day, Shepard."
"And you, Karin?"
"I'd love dinner with the dashing Commander and perhaps visiting a place afterwards where we could slow dance into the early hours of the next morning. If we ended up in bed after that to make love… I'd be stupid to say no. I regret…" She took a deep breath before continuing. "Your interest in me before you died was obvious. Liara told me more than once that I should just go for it."
"She was right in that you should have done that, Karin. I think I made my interest in you obvious."
"You did. I just… I still don't really believe it."
"We can go out for dinner and drinks as friends and colleagues, but you know that an invitation to my cabin will always be open, Karin. I'm attracted to you. I think you're attracted to me. People who are attracted to each other and open about it might give into temptation and have some fun together."
"I might just have to give you a prod, so you don't forget next time we're on the Citadel."
"I'll make sure Kelly puts a reminder on my terminal."
I checked the time and realised that it was getting late, quickly heading up to my cabin to shower and change. Kelly knew that I would be meeting up with Liara and Shiala and was rather amused as I was rather excited about seeing Shiala again. She had vague details about Shiala, giving her a longer explanation as I continued to get ready.
"Are you girls going to do anything tonight?" I asked as she walked me to the airlock.
"Oh, you know. Just get together in one of the lounges. Have a few drinks. Lots of talking. Perhaps eat some pussy." I stopped and stared at her for that last comment. She chuckled as I'm sure the look on my face was priceless. "I bet you'd love to see pictures if it happened, Shepard," she suggested.
"Who would be going down on who?"
"That's for me to know and you to imagine. And I'm sure you're now going to return tomorrow and forever wonder if I was telling the truth."
"You're a tease."
"I know. Now go off and have fun. And you should invite Liara back the next time we're here. I'm sure we'd all love her immediately."
It was only a short ride from the nearest taxi rank, landing outside Liara's apartment complex. The asari at the front desk recognised me and waved me through. Liara knew I was coming, the front door unlocked, and I strolled on through as if I'd been there a million times before. I saw Liara on the couch in the large living room next to a… green asari?
But then she met my eyes, and I recognised her immediately. "Shepard!" she cried out excitedly. Thankfully, I had enough time to open my arms and catch her, hearing her laughing away as I spun her around a few times before placing her feet back on the floor. That first kiss was a promise of many more that evening. Liara wandered over to get her own kiss while Shiala snuggled into me.
Liara said that she'd grab me a drink from the kitchen. Shiala led me over to the couch by hand and sat me down, not hesitating to sit on my lap and snuggling into me. I remembered her being affectionate… Then I met her eyes and though there was boundless happiness, I could see the hidden heartbreak. I kissed her again and felt her sigh.
"I'm not a stupid man. I'm assuming the colour is due to the Thorian?"
"Got it in one, Shepard. I've been treated by asari and human doctors. None of the colonists have turned this colour. It's believed that it was my direct contact that led to my condition. I'm otherwise healthy although there is a peculiar result of what happened. Anyone who was exposed to the Thorian and controlled by it… Well, we appear to be telepathic with each other. Not long distances like now, but we can talk to each other through the mind. It's quite a unique thing."
Liara walked over with drinks for the three of us, smiling at how Shiala had already claimed me. That didn't stop from Liara cuddling into me as closely as possible as we caught up on the events of the day. She was relieved that the recruitment of Samara had gone as smoothly as possible. She wasn't surprised to hear that I found her attractive. When she asked me to describe her, Shiala and Liara both laughed.
"Figured that she'd have a great set of tits that you'd enjoy looking at," Liara stated.
"Hey, don't forget your mother… Speaking of your mother, I'm guessing she knows that I'm alive. I'd like to get to Thessia, but I don't think that'll be possible on a Cerberus ship."
"She's patient because she has plenty of time. The Council, the one on Thessia, can't decide what to do with her. She's waiting patiently as a house guest of Tessia. Basically, Benezia can wander the city, but out-of-state and off-world travel are not permitted."
"Have you spoken to her?" I asked Shiala.
"I've managed to get to Thessia a couple of times to see her. It was emotional both times. The guilt she still carries is extraordinary. Those of us who survived have long forgiven her. At least she's happy and her old self again. She was lost for a long time."
Shiala told me all about the colony at Zhu's Hope. Thanks to significant investment from the Asari Republics and the Alliance stepping in after ExoGeni pulled the plug, the little colony was now thriving. Researchers had been arriving in droves to explore the Prothean ruins and also what remained of the Thorian. And many colonists were arriving in the hope of starting a new life. Shiala had helped in the early days though after two years, she was now just one of the numbers there.
Liara ordered in dinner, a platter of asari delicacies that had my tastebuds dancing. I enjoyed feeding my lovers which earned me plenty of kisses and cuddles, finishing our meal with a sweet dessert that seemed to arouse the both of them even more. By the time we had polished off our drinks, two pairs of eyes gazed at me with nothing but lust in them.
"Bedroom. Now," Liara stated with a smile.
"I love it when you're bossy," I retorted.
I had them both laughing away when I stood up and lifted Shiala over one shoulder before Liara helped me by jumping slightly as I lifted her over my other. Carrying them into the large bedroom, I carefully bumped them both down on the bed though they were quickly up and almost tearing my clothes off in their desperation to get me naked.
Ever had an asari on her knees before you? It's pretty damned wonderful. Then imagine two… Now that is spectacular. Liara and Shiala gazed up at me lovingly as they took turns slowly licking up and down my shaft. When my cock slowly slid inside Shiala's mouth for the first time, I groaned loudly as Shiala immediately started to show off as I watched more and more slide into her mouth.
Her head bobbed up and down for around a minute or so, Liara then took over and she started to bob up and down. The pair playfully fought over my cock for the next few minutes, gently pushing each other before they'd take their turn to blow me though Shiala eventually took control and I knew it was Liara giving her the time to get me off.
When I ran my fingers over Shiala's crest, I noticed her eyes immediately glisten, Liara kissing her cheek and whispering into her ear. I knew what she was suggesting. I knew Liara was going to be involved during this evening together. I wasn't sure the pair had been this close, but they'd kept in touch during my absence, and even I could sense an attraction between the pair.
"Shiala… I'm close…" I warned her.
"She wants it all, Shepard," Liara stated quietly, "She's been waiting so long for you to be together again. The best part is that the three of us will make love tonight. But this gift is for her first."
Glancing down into Shiala's eyes, the sheer desperation for me to cum in her mouth only aroused me further. When I turned my eyes to Liara, she was horny beyond belief, and I knew wanted me to fuck her while she fooled around with Shiala. I turned my eyes back to Shiala just as I was about to cum. I grunted as I felt that first spurt, Shiala ready for it and I heard her swallow it down.
"That's it, Shiala," Liara encouraged, "Don't spill a drop. All of it."
Shiala didn't spill a drop though kept enough in her mouth to turn and kiss Liara so they could share it. I took a moment to watch them make out.
"Undress each other," I stated.
They stood up and the three of us worked on getting them as naked as I was. Moving up onto the bed, Shiala was on her back and spread her legs so I didn't waste time getting my face between them. As I slowly ate her pussy, savouring her sweet taste once again, Liara focused on her upper body, giving her breasts plenty of attention. That only aroused Shiala further, her hips soon moving to my ministrations while Liara quickly gave into temptation and hovered over Shiala's face.
Shiala pulled Liara down onto her face and didn't waste any time eating her pussy. Liara's face was a picture of delight as she was watching me pleasure Shiala at the same time. The moans from the two asari had me smiling and my cock quickly getting hard again. Shiala enjoyed her first orgasm rather quickly, and her orgasm seemed to set off Liara as I recognised the sounds she made whenever she enjoyed one.
Pushing Shiala's legs wider, Liara did me a favour and grabbed her ankles, winking at me as my tongue and fingers were soon working in combination. Shiala enjoyed an even stronger orgasm within a couple of minutes, and I sat back long enough for Liara to lean forward and have fun with Shiala. The pair pleasured each other for a few minutes before Liara pulled back and I kissed her.
"I love her taste already," Liara whispered.
"I love yours just as much," Shiala murmured, "But I really need something else now."
Liara quickly moved off Shiala's face as I kissed up her body until my eyes met hers. Shiala smiled at me before we shared a kiss, tasting Liara on her lips and tongue, as I gently pressed the head of my cock against her. I felt her shuffle to get comfortable before I earned a moan of delight as I carefully slid inside her. She felt as tight, hot and wonderful as I remembered.
"Goddess," Shiala whispered, "It's been too long, Shepard. I missed you so much."
I gently kissed her as our bodies moved together like we'd made love only recently instead of two years earlier. Liara was happy to watch us as I coupled with Shiala. Her eyes spoke volumes of her feelings. I had to ask if she wanted to meld, shaking her head, admitting that she simply wanted to enjoy the intimacy without needing to share all our thoughts and feelings that couldn't be expressed verbally.
She waxed lyrical about my cock as I slowly slid in and out of her. I felt one of her legs wrap around me, her fingers caressing my back, her eyes occasionally moving to Liara. She was watching us with a smile on her face. I picked up the tempo and Shiala's face simply lit up with pleasure, urging me on to move faster and faster, her breaths coming rapidly, and Liara suggested that Shiala was about to cum.
Liara seemed to know her well as I felt Shiala's pussy grip my cock as she cried out, whimpering numerous times as Liara leaned over to give her a soft kiss.
"I think you needed that," Liara whispered.
Shiala opened her eyes, and that same gorgeous smile formed. "I love feeling him inside me," she whispered, "It's just the best feeling ever."
"Oh, I know. I thank the Goddess every single time he slides inside me, just like that first time."
Shiala was desperate to feel me cum inside her, feeling her heels digging into my butt a couple of minutes later as she urged me to move faster and give it to her harder. What made me smile is the fact she had another orgasm, Liara leaning over to kiss her again and admitting that watching her cum while I was fucking her was more arousing than she could put into words.
When I finally came inside her, I felt Shiala wrap her limbs around me tightly, lightly kissing my cheek as I rested my head next to hers. Liara kissed my other cheek and whispered into my ear that she loved watching me with Shiala as much as she had loved watching me with Ashley, her mother…
"Shepard, I think I've seen you with quite a few people," she finally stated, much to Shiala's amusement.
"Does it turn you on?"
"In the sense that I know they are loving it as much as I do each and every time."
A couple of minutes later, I was lying on my back with a green asari cuddled into me on my right and a blue asari on my left. Shiala's eyes spoke volumes of her feelings for me. I didn't have to look at Liara to know what she was thinking and feeling. They gave me another few minutes to recover before I felt two soft hands bringing my cock back to life. As soon as it was hard, Shiala moved to straddle my lap, gazing down her body to watch my cock disappear inside her. She whimpered softly as she slowly started to ride me.
"She looks beautiful, Shepard," Liara whispered, "But while I'd love to watch her, I really want to sit on your face and feel your tongue."
"You think I'd say no to that idea?"
Liara sat reverse with her gorgeous butt in my eyeline as I ate her pussy. I knew she was making out with Shiala as both were taking pleasure from my body. I made Liara giggle more than once when my tongue ended up teasing her rosebud. She knew how much I loved her arse. Shiala rode me faster and faster until I felt her orgasm more than once. Liara urged her not to stop until I came inside her again, and given that I had only cum recently, they both seemed to realise that I was going to last a while.
I did cum eventually, and as soon as Shiala sensed that I wasn't going to fill her up any longer she slid off my body and started to giggle as Liara removed herself from my mouth though spun around and laid on my chest. We both turned to look at Shiala, her cheeks bright pink and I was left thinking that she wasn't capable of much else that night.
Liara took her opportunity, sliding down my body and taking my cock in her mouth. She moaned as most of my cock disappeared for a moment. "Well, I love tasting you on his cock, Shiala," she said softly, "Shepard, can you handle one more?"
"Easily."
"Good. Now you know how much I love riding your big dick, so you just lie back and cuddle Shiala though you'd both better watch me."
"Think I won't watch your hot little body enjoying his dick?" Shiala retorted.
Liara had plenty of stamina and it was probably a good thing that asari don't really sweat all that much, otherwise she'd have been glistening and dripping with it as she realised after riding me for half an hour that I wasn't close to orgasm. That's when she rolled off, laid back and told me to fuck her hard. Shiala was my cheerleader as I gave Liara what she wanted, and when I did finally cum inside her, Liara cuddled into me and started to giggle, stating she was going to pay for that in the morning.
I still couldn't sleep in the next morning despite the activities of the previous night. Liara was spooned back against me with Shiala spooned against her. Liara seemed to sense that I was awake and whispered for me to move.
"Snuggle with her," she whispered, "I've got work to do. I'll invite Gianna to join us for breakfast too."
"You sure?"
"I'm going to get more time with you, Shepard. Make the most of it with her. You know how she feels about you."
When Shiala woke up and realised that she was spooning back against me, she immediately turned over with a smile and kissed me. We ended up in a position that I knew well, Shiala with her legs wrapped around me as I helped keep her balance. She whispered those words that I knew well when it came to melding…
The love that she had for me was almost overwhelming. She had fallen for me almost immediately, and those few nights we'd spent together had only enhanced those feelings. When it came to my death, I sensed her shattered heart and immense grief. She didn't share any words, I just experienced emotions. It was only when she broke the meld that I met her eyes and saw pure bliss.
"I've never been happier," she whispered, "I know that we won't be together very often for now, Shepard… But maybe one day…"
Liara walked in as I was lying back with Shiala leaning forward, hands on my chest as she slowly rode me. She announced that Gianna had arrived, and breakfast was nearly ready. I made Shiala squeal as I rolled over and gave her a look that had her begging me to fuck her harder. When I came inside her within a couple of minutes, I think we were both grinning like idiots before sharing another in a long line of passionate kisses.
Gianna greeted me with a hug and kiss on the cheek before whispering that she heard me fucking Shiala. I knew Gianna would have been interested. When I met her eyes, I was a little surprised to see her blushing. "I've never forgotten the time we shared, Shepard," she said softly.
"Neither have I. You're a remarkable woman, Gianna."
After we finished breakfast, I asked the three to sit together on the couch as I took a knee before them. Liara knew immediately that something serious was coming. Gianna and Shiala looked concerned as I knew that the fact I wasn't smiling would suggest that something big was about to come.
"Shiala, I know you offered to help me the last time we spoke. You stayed on Feros to help the colony, and I know you want to come with me now. I'd like you to stay on Feros for the time being because I need the three of you to do something for me. If I don't come back…" Liara immediately took a hand of theirs each as I rested a hand on Shiala's knee and my other on Gianna's knee. "If I don't come back, I need you three to support each other with what is to come. I need you to support Liara because she is going to need your help. The galaxy doesn't know what is coming. The Council is denying it. We know the truth. Shiala, you know the truth. Gianna… I'm sure that you probably have an inkling of something big."
"You'll come back, Shepard," Liara stated confidently.
"I don't plan on dying. And I plan on coming back with my full team. But there is always the chance. Nothing is ever guaranteed."
Shiala slid onto the floor and cuddled me tightly, Gianna doing the same seconds later. Liara did her best to appear stoic, but when I met her eyes, I saw the tears trickling down her cheeks as she glanced away. Shiala told her to stop being foolish and join the cuddle.
"We have to be prepared," I whispered before I kissed each of them, "And if I'm not here, then it will be up to others to lead the fight."
"And if you're here?" Liara asked.
"Then we're going to kick Reaper arse when they arrive." That had the three of them chuckling at my confidence. "I'd love to stay all day and night again. You know I would. But I have things to do. Want to come see me off, at least?"
Kelly, Miranda and Georgia were waiting for me near the airlock. I made sure introductions were made as although they knew about Liara, she hadn't met any of them yet. I noticed Kelly's reaction to the two asari. She was immediately thinking 'threesome' or 'foursome'. Miranda gave me a look that I knew well. She thought both of them were very attractive. As for Gianna… They simply liked her.
"I'll have Joker prepare the ship for departure, Shepard," Miranda told me.
Gianna hugged me first and we shared a proper kiss. When my hand moved to her arse and gave it a squeeze, she broke the kiss and laughed out loud. "Now that's what I remember."
"Next time…"
"She gets a day off next time," Liara told me, "Just give me a little warning."
We hugged each other for at least a couple of minutes. I remembered our farewell on Noveria. I had wanted to see her again, but getting to that area of space with everything going just hadn't been possible. Now that she was on Illium, I was hopeful that it would be different this time. There were no tears, Gianna admitting that she was just glad to see me alive though poked my chest and told me not to die again.
Liara bid me farewell next, a steamy kiss as she pressed herself into my body. "Will you return before you go through?"
"Definitely."
"Good. Keep in touch with me."
"Always."
That left Shiala alone with me as I noticed Liara lead Gianna away. She stepped towards me, her lower lip trembling as I wrapped an arm around her, my other hand gently caressing her cheek. The next kiss we shared was something else. I pulled her tight to my body and I don't think either of us wanted it to end. I knew how she felt about me. I'd fallen for her during the time we'd spent together on Feros. Liara was aware of that as she'd seen my memories.
"You know that I'd come with you… But I understand why you want me to stay."
"Liara is strong. Incredibly strong. But she's going to need someone by her side if I'm not here. And I know how much you love her."
"It's a different love compared to my love for you."
"I'm aware of that. Look after each other. That's all I can ask."
"I will."
We cuddled again. I guess it had been for a while as I heard a cleared throat behind me. "Sorry, Shepard, but we should probably get going…"
"It's okay, Miranda. I know."
"I'll let the people back at Zhu's Hope know that you're doing well. Maybe you could come visit one day?"
"When we've defeated the Collectors, I'll definitely come and visit."
We finally released each other, Shiala managing a warm smile as I walked backwards towards the airlock. With a final wave, I pressed the button to close the door, my last view being of Liara and Gianna joining Shiala, also waving at me and managing to smile before they disappeared. Turning back to Miranda, it was time to return to Omega for our last recruit.
I could only hope that the Illusive Man would finally have some more news after that.