FicWad

Orion looked around at his surroundings as he remained restrained to the upright berth in his cell, having only regained consciousness several minutes earlier.

'Where I am? And more importantly where is Liara!' he thought as he tried to free himself, only for the restraints to beat him for the umpteenth time since his awakening. The last thing the Autobot remembered was holding onto both his Asari friend and the Star-Saber, trying to anchor them to the Normandy so they would not be sucked out into the void of space through the hull breach in the corridor. But his strength had failed him, and everything went black as he and Liara were pulled into the vacuum of space. But now he had awoken and found himself restrained in this unknown location.

'Those guys who attacked us were the same Slavers that had captured Liara the first time.' Orion thought as he tried to piece together the current situation from what he already knew, but this just left his spark feeling worse for Liara.

'I've got to get out of here and find her.' he thought while trying again to free himself, straining as he put everything he had into breaking free of his bonds but eventually had to stop when they would not budge.

'Scrap, I'm not going anywhere.'

Suddenly the door opened and two Human men entered the room, gaining the Blue haired Bot's attention. The first guy was the bald Slaver that was part of the group that had attacked both him and Liara, but Orion's eyes widened as he recognised the person behind him.

"Hock! You're the one behind the attack on the Normandy?" he asked in a disbelieving tone, earning a smile from the Arms Dealer.

"I wish I was the one responsible, but alas I am not." he replied whilst stopping directly in front of the force-field before gesturing to Kane, who then deactivated the energy-shield. Hock then walked in right up to Orion.

"Where's Liara!" the Bot spat,

"You mean my 'Blue Rose' don't you…." Hock replied, which made the Autobot grit his teeth as he glared back.

"Liara is not yours!" the Bot jumped in angrily, earning a less than interested look from the Arms Dealer.

"..whatever. Even if my Asari is now in the hands of the Shadow Broker, I still hope I get a chance to see you her again."

Orion's eyes widened at that name that had just be spoken, for he had heard it before.

'That was the name of Agent Zero's employer, the one who tried to grab Liara from us when we rescued her from Hock.' he thought.

"The Shadow Broker!" he then said aloud, earning a nod from Hock.

"Yes, he is the one who was responsible for the attack on you ship which was quite successful since I saw it explode afterwards."

The Blue haired Autobot's face suddenly became one of shock and disbelief in return, as he the looked down at the ground.

"No….your lying…." he said back as he felt his spark sink in his chest, as his friends faces began to appear in his mind.

"…your lying." he continued before Hock grabbed the Bot by the throat and lifted his head back to him, so that he could look him in the eyes.

"Believe me, they are dead. They got what they deserved for messing in my affairs, I am sorry that I did not play a bigger role in their demise.." Hock replied coldly before showing Orion a dark smile.

"..but luckily I can show you what I would have done to them."

The Arms Dealer then looked over to Kane, who remained silent and watched the two men before him.

"Kane, what were the methods you and Varas did to that Asari, you know the ones to make her submissive and docile?" he said, earning a smile from the bald Slaver before looking back to Orion with a knowing look.

"Oh, that's right. I remember what you told me you did to her now…." He then said before punching the Autobot hard in the face, earning a grimace from the restrained Bot.

"You beat her for starters."

Orion spat what little blood had formed in his mouth on to the floor and looked up at Hock with an unimpressed expression.

"My Grandmother could slap people harder than that." he said back with a slight smile, making the Arms Dealer narrow his eyes at him.

"Joke all you want, but I will take great pleasure in causing you utmost amounts of pain for what you and your Autobots did to me and my operation." he said back as he raised his fist, ready to strike again. But Orion just smirked at him.

Give it your best shot because when I get out of here, you will die at either mine or Liara's hands….that's a promise."

But neither Hock nor Kane looked very concerned before the Arms Dealer began to punch the Bot again and again, as only those sounds and the grunts and grimaces of Orion could be heard within that room.

PRIME EFFECT 4

Meanwhile Liara was lost for words as she stood beside her own Mother, who only a few minutes earlier had revealed herself to be the infamous Shadow Broker.

"You want me to join you, why?" she asked with a tone that was both confused and curious, earning a smile from the Matriarch.

"Liara…." she replied while placing a hand on the young Asari's shoulder.

"….you are my Daughter, I want you at my side as 'we' raise our people back to where they belong."

Benezia then pulled away slightly and looked back at Liara with caring expression.

"I remember when I bought you your very first history book, the look on your face as you read it. I watched as you became deeply interested in the past, in the history of the galaxy, focused on the achievements and mistakes of those that came before us. And during the dark days of the Reaper War, you learnt how to fight. You came through all those years stronger than I would have thought you capable of, that is why I believe you should be the one to succeed me as both Matriarch and Shadow Broker when it is the end of my time."

Liara merely looked back with a dumbfounded expression, unable to think clearly on what her Mother had just said.

"You want me to one day replace you, but Vasir…." she managed to say back, to which Benezia simply shook her head in response.

"Tela Vasir has been like a second Daughter to me, but she is merely a warrior. The Asari will need a leader who can fight for them, but will also be unable to make the same mistakes that has blighted others throughout history. That can be only you Liara, my 'Little Wing'."

The young Asari looked back at the Matriarch, seeing the proud look on her face but Liara deep down knew she could not go through with what her Mother wanted and so took a deep breath, before looking back with a serious and regretful expression.

"Mother I wish I could help you with the restoration of our people, but I cannot condone the actions you are going to take to achieve it..." she said back, whilst Benezia looked back as her expression changed to one that could not be read as she listened to her Daughter.

"…You admit that I am a student of history, but yet you think that I could just ignore the fact that you would commit genocide against the Cybertronians. I cannot and not just because my friends are Cybertronian or that I…care for one in particular…" she said, earning an expression from the Matriarch that she wished she could not read. But instead decided to ignore it an carry on.

"….but also because it is wrong, with history proving it time and again. Just how far have you fallen Mother?" Liara finished before noticing one of the holo-screens featuring details of mercenaries, recognising two of them as the Slavers that attacked her and Orion during the raid on the Normandy.

"And what kind of people are you surrounding yourself with? Scum like these." she said with a hurt expression as she looked back at Benezia.

"I work in an area of 'grey' Liara, there is no black and white with what I do. But I require the 'best' to work for me, which unfortunately includes those that society considers unacceptable." she replied as the screen then showed data on a Drell Assassin, one that Liara recognised from back on Illium.

"What about this one, this Thane Krios. It says that he is 'honourable' despite his profession. I doubt he would go along with what you have planned."

Benezia looked up at the Drell as he appeared on the holo-screen and smiled slightly, acknowledging what her Daughter had guessed.

"That would be correct, because despite my reputation and power. There are still those who say no to me…..though I do have my ways of encouraging them to accept my decisions." she replied, earning a wide eyed look from Liara as she read a part of Thane's file.

"He said no to working for you, so…..you had 'Lockdown' kill his wife! Just so you could manipulate him into joining the organisation by promising him that you would give him his loved one's killer."

"That was the only way I could think of to guarantee his cooperation, so I took it." the Matriarch replied with her tone suddenly cold and calculating, which was in reaction to her Daughter who just looked back with a further disbelieving expression after reading some more.

"And your holding his son as a bargaining chip…." she started to say before Benezia cut her off.

"We told Thane that his young son Kolyat would be safe here, so long as he himself remained in our employment."

"…but surely as a Parent yourself, you would not wish that kind of treatment on anyone els…." Liara said back before something else suddenly overcame her thoughts, stopping her from finishing her sentence.

'Why are the Slavers that tortured me working for Mother, surely she would….' she thought before looking back at Benezia with narrowed eyes, earning a knowing expression from the older Asari.

"Those Slavers you hired to get me off the Normandy, they were the same ones who captured and tortured me before selling me to that Bastard…Donavon Hock. But what I want to know is, did you know about this?" Liara said back with her voice tinged with a building anger, but the Matriarch just stared at her with a blank expression.

"Yes I did."

"You...did..." Liara replied, as he thoughts were over run by the memories of her captivity and torture by those Slavers, the pain and suffering she had to endure every waking moment as those men attempted to break her body and her mind. She had been beaten, starved of food, water, light and heat. Made to suffer until she would beg for them to stop, except the young Asari never did so...

'Liara was on her knees in a darkened room, her hands held up over her head by restraints which hung from the ceiling above her. She had been left alone in that room for goddess knows how long, since the passage of time had become lost to her. Every part of her body ached, from her starved stomach to her cracked ribs and bruised skin. A biotic clamp was also fastened tightly around her neck, like a heavy weight on her already aching body.

'I will never give in to them, never let them see me break…..for I would rather die than give them the satisfaction.' she thought before the door to her room opened up, filling her surroundings with a blinding light. Liara felt her eyes sting as the brightness of the light over-rid her vision, joining the rest of her body in the physical pain it was going through. After a moment her sight began to refocus, allowing the Asari to see three figures standing before her.

"Are you sure about this, because I still think that our usual 'teaching methods' will eventually work on her, especially if we include….." a familiar voice spoke as Liara looked up to see that it was the bald Human who was called Kane, and on one side him stood a Vorcha that remained nameless while on the other was the leader, a Batarian by the name of Varas and he shook his head in return.

"No Kane, this Asari is the finest looking female we have had in our possession."

He then knelt in front of Liara and grabbed hold of her chin, lifting her face so that he could see her properly.

"This one is strong, I doubt we could break her mind before her body ultimately fails. And we will get our highest pay-day if we make sure that she remains….generally unharmed." he added while the young Asari narrowed her eyes at him in a hateful stare, earning a smile from Varas.

"Yes, I have a better idea for you."

The lead Slaver then let go of Liara and looked over to the Vorcha standing beside Kane.

"Hand me the shock adapter." he said, gaining a nod from the other who then gave the Batarian a small metallic device which he held before the Asari.

"This little gem will ensure you do exactly what we say from now on Asari." he then added before connecting it to the would be Slave's biotic clamp, before getting back to his feet and looking down at her.

"One way or another, you will know your place." Varas added before activating his holo-tool.

"Now stand up."

Liara though just stared back at him, not even blinking for a moment, earning a sigh from the Batarian.

"Very well, have it your way." he replied before tapping a button on his holo-tool and suddenly the biotic clamp came to life, sending a strong pulse of electricity through the Asari's body which made her scream out in pain for several seconds. Varas then tapped the button again to deactivate it, making Liara slump back onto her knees while breathing heavily.

"So now will you do as I say and stand up?"

But again the young but battered Asari ignored him and remained quiet, which made Varas narrow his eyes at her as he bit his lip.

"Have it your way, I can do this all day!" he spat before activating device again, which electrocuted Liara and made her scream out in pain as the energy lit up the room.'

As the memory faded, Liara looked back at Benezia with a look of utter disbelief.

"Why?…..why would you let me go through that?" she uttered just above a whisper, because the young Asari could not believe that any Parent would knowing let their children suffer. But the Matriarch merely looked back at her with a resolute stare, like she was not even bothered as she started to walk around her Daughter.

"Only great Men and Women can lead others Liara, but they must first be baptised in fire before taking their rightful place above everyone else. When I received word that you had been captured by Slavers, I knew that the horrors that they would put you through would change and shape you. But I knew you were strong and that it would ultimately forge you into a person more befitting of what I had planned, as I want a Daughter who is in every way my equal." she said while looking at Liara.

"You have survived your baptism of fire and emerged far stronger than I could have hoped, I have watched you since the Autobots took you from my grasp, and you are not only stronger physically, but wiser too. You will make an excellent successor for me, my Daughter." Benezia replied with an almost hysterical but proud tone in her voice, though the younger Asari looked back with a sickened expression.

"After what you have done, what makes you think you have the right to call me 'Daughter'. I am ashamed of what you have become and will have no part in this, I will remember and cherish the person you once were because I do not recognise who stands before me right now." Liara said back with a cold tone and firm expression, not letting her feelings get in the way of what needed to be said. But the Matriarch just stared back at her once ' little wing' for a long moment, before narrowing her eyes back in a hateful stare.

"You disappoint me Liara, I am the one who brought you into this world. The one who raised you and loved you, and this is how you repay me….with this disgusting insolence, but I will have your obedience….one way or another." she spat before tapping a button on her holo-tool which brought up an image of Orion being beaten by Hock in his cell, this made the younger Asari's eyes widen as she watched her would-be lover being tortured.

"You will do as I say Liara, or this Autobot will die. In fact I was thinking of introducing him to the Cybonic Plague, it would be most interesting to see how it would affect a Cybertronian/Human hybrid such as him." the Matriarch added, making her Daughter look back at her with a stare of pure rage.

"I know that you care for this Boy, so stand down and join me…..or watch him suffer the consequences." the older Asari finished, while Liara gritted her teeth.

"You think that I am going to stand down just because you have put Orion in jeopardy? Then you don't know me at all 'Mother', for I never let those bastard Slavers break me. So what makes you think I will let you!" she spat back while clenching her fists, which started to glow with biotic energy.

"You have proven yourself to be just as big a threat as the Predacons and I have to stop you, but now you have brought Orion into it and for that…..I will end you!"

Benezia though simply smirked in return as she followed suit and conjured biotic energy around her own fists.

"You think you can take me on Liara, your own Mother…a Matriarch now less? So be it!"

The younger Asari then launched herself into a biotic charge, speeding towards her Mother in a blue flash. But Benezia threw a biotic uppercut that stopped Liara dead in her tracks and sent her flying into the air, the Matriarch then held her glowing blue hand out in Liara's direction and caught her in a biotic energy field. Before the younger Asari could do anything, her more experienced elder then performed a biotic slam and smashed her into the ground.

"You dare to raise a hand to me…..and expect me not to wipe the floor with you." Benezia said as she then lifted a hurt Liara off the ground with her power, holding her Daughter in the air as she walked over.

"This was never going to end well for you Liara, you are simply no match for me." she said before slamming Liara into a nearby wall, making the young Asari grimace in pain. The Matriarch then let go of her, making her Daughter fall to the ground hard before walking slowly towards her.

"I will unleash the plague upon the Autobots, eradicating a species that should have wiped themselves out long ago." Benezia added whilst Liara slowly got back to her feet, holding onto the wall for support as she looked up at her Mother approaching.

"The Federation will then be brought to it's knees before they beg for me to lead them back into the light, only then will the Galaxy be as it should." the Matriarch carried on before gesturing a low glowing punch to the ground, creating a biotic slam that knocked Liara back to onto the floor.

"But you my Daughter will not live to see such a time, and neither will your Autobot lover." she said, making the younger Asari look up at her with a wide-eyed expression of fear, gaining a dark smile from Benezia.

"It sickens me to think you would choose someone like him as a bond-mate, I am doing the world a service by ending both your lives." she carried on with her scathing verbal attack on Liara, who in return narrowed her eyes and stared back with a wrathful expression as she clenched her fists tightly that in turn began to glow brighter with every second that past. But the Matriarch did not look impressed as she stood over her Daughter, her expression passive.

"You cannot…." she began to say before Liara cut her off suddenly.

"Shut the hell up!" she spat as she thrust her fists forward, which exploded in a biotic blast that sent Benezia threw the air several meters before she hit the ground and rolled to a stop. This allowed the younger Asari to get back to her feet whilst never taking her eyes off her Mother, who quickly recovered and readied herself for the next round.

"That is more like it Liara, I knew you had it in you….but it still will not be enough." she said back, while her Daughter took a deep breath.

"This ends now." she said before rushing Benezia, once again using biotic charge. The Matriarch did the same and rushed at her younger opponent, the pair clashed in the center of the room and caused a biotic blast to erupt outwards from their impact. The energy was so concentrated and powerful that it shattered the glass containment of the conduit near them, exposing it's own energy which shut down the holo-screens positioned around it. But this did not even phase either Mother or Child as they focused on defeating the other, as the battle had turned into a fist fight. Liara threw a punch that connected perfectly on Benezia's face, knocking her backwards a step or two. But before she could recover, the younger Asari continued with her advantage and threw another punch.

'My Mother's Biotics are more powerful than mine, but her close quarters combat is certainly lacking.' she thought as she then kicked her Mother in the side, earning a yelp from the Matriarch who stumbled backwards.

"You will pay for that you little Bitch!" she spat before noticing the broken glass lying around them. So before Liara attacked again, Benezia used biotics to lift the shards off the ground and surround her Daughter. The younger Asari noticed this and looked at her with a thoughtful expression, pausing in her attack as the glass floated all around her.

"Die!" her Elder then spat as the glass shards then flew through the air at Liara from all directions, making her gasp out loud before quickly bringing her clenched fists up to her chest and focusing which then created a biotic sphere that enveloped her being. The broken pieces of glass flew like daggers into the sphere, but the energy surrounding Liara instantly disintegrated them into sand which landed harmlessly around her.

Benezia looked back with a surprised expression as her Daughter narrowed her eyes and met her own, pure anger could be seen in them.

"You first!" was all the younger Asari said in return before pushing her fists out in front of her in direction of the Matriarch, this in turn made the energy sphere suddenly move and engulf her Mother. Liara then tightened her fists more, ensuring that her opponent could not break free before feigning a throw with her clenched hands to the right, sending her Mother head first into the exposed energy conduit.

Benezia screamed out as the energy rushed through her body, burning it inside out as the electricity completely consumed her. The lights in the room began to short out and flicker on and off repeatedly as the older Asari was electrocuted, causing Liara to cover her eyes whilst hearing her Mother's screams before suddenly the power blew and sent the body flying out and hit the floor hard. Liara withdrew her hand away from her eyes, letting see that the emergency lighting and power had kicked in. She looked down to see the fully burnt corpse of her Mother lying only a few feet away, so she walked over and looked down at it with a look of sorrow and regret on her face.

"I am sorry Mother, but you left me no choice." she said softly before bowing her head, mourning her Mother's passing. A moment later and the power in room turned back on, reactivating the holo-screens once again.

'Orion!' she suddenly thought before activating her holo-tool and syncing it to the Shadow Broker's computer.

'Where are they keeping him?' she thought whilst looking through the ship's schematics on her own holo-screen, when suddenly her attention was caught by a familiar voice crying out.

"Benezia!"

PRIME EFFECT 4

Liara looked over to the room's entrance and saw Vasir standing there with a look of complete shock and despair on her face, as she looked at the Shadow Broker's corpse. So the younger Asari stopped what she was doing and stood ready for whatever the double-Agent would do next, earning a similar angry expression from her as she turned her attention to Liara.

"What have you done!" Vasir spat whilst giving her Mentor's Daughter a dagger like stare.

"What had to be done to stop this madness from going on any further." Liara replied as she took a step back from the Agent, who in turn stepped closer.

"Benezia was my mentor and my friend, you betrayed and murdered your own mother." she said back as she clenched her fists and made them glow with biotic energy, earning a mirrored response from the younger Asari before the entire ship shook around them with alarms blaring.

"Warning, Warning, ship's power-core has ruptured. All hands are to evacuate before core-breach occurs in fifteen minutes." a synthesised voice spoke through the ship's inter-com, earning the attention of both Asari.

'That must of happened when I threw my Mother into the power conduit, the excess biotic energy must have passed through it all the way to the core and destabilised it.' she thought as Vasir returned her attention to her.

"None of that matters, I will make you pay for what you did to Benezia." she said with a finality to her voice.

"You heard the computer, this ship is going to explode." Liara replied as her thoughts refocused back to Orion.

"Yes and if I don't kill you, I can at least delay you long enough so that the explosion will kill you and your Autobot friend, that is something I can take solace in." the double-Agent said back before charging a biotic energy ball and throwing it at the other Asari, causing Liara to dive out of the way just as it impacted the wall behind her.

'I don't have time for this.' she thought while getting back to her feet before throwing a biotic blast back, to which Vasir brought up biotic barrier in front of her. The blast impacted the energy-field causing a bright blue flash as it absorbed the attack, though the moment it started to fade Liara charged in and tackled the Agent to the floor.

"Why are you fighting for my Mother? What did she do to deserve your loyalty?" she asked angrily as she pinned the other Asari down, earning a grunt from Vasir as she struggled to free herself.

"Because she shared my views on the Cybertronians and unlike others that felt the same, Benezia was willing to do something about it. I owe her everything, especially since she chose me to succeed her." she spat back before freeing her right arm, allowing Vasir to hit Liara hard in the stomach. This winded her and let the Agent knock her off herself, before performing a backwards roll back into a kneeling position. The younger Asari recovered and looked over at her opponent with a knowing look.

"You think that my Mother really wanted you to succeed her as Shadow Broker, then why did she want me here?"

Vasir looked back at Liara with a thoughtful expression as she dwelled on the question for a second.

"Because she wanted you…her Daughter to help." she said back whilst keeping her fists clenched, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"Yes, that part is true. But my Mother also wanted me to later succeed her as both Shadow Broker and Matriarch, she never wanted you for that….not permanently." Liara replied in a calm tone, making the other Asari stare back with narrowed, hateful eyes as she gritted her teeth in response.

"You lie, you will say anything. I have worked with your Mother for over twenty years, while you never gave a damn. You were more bothered about your career and your Cybertronian friends. And now after Benezia opened her arms to you and wished for you to join her, you not only slap her hands away and betray her…..you have also killed her!" she spat before launching herself at her enemy, making Liara go on the defensive as Vasir began throwing punches and kicks which she blocked, one after another. The double-Agent kept up the offensive, charging her fists with biotic energy. But the younger Asari did the same, blocking each and every one before countering with a punch to the face and then a kick to the stomach, knocking Vasir back.

"You talk to me about betrayal, but you betrayed the very principles you swore to abide by when you became an Autobot Spectre." Liara replied, earning a lopsided grin from her opponent before she threw another punch that connected with the Asari's chin, making her grunt as she recoiled.

"And I would do it again, they have done nothing to gain my trust and obedience." Vasir said back, as she watched Liara wipe a trickle of blood from her mouth.

"Your skills are impressive though Liara, you are your Mother's Daughter. But I am a Spectre, you cannot keep this up for long, not with time ticking down as we speak."

"Your right about that, but are you forgetting that I did just kill my Mother, a powerful Matriarch that eclipses both us…." the younger Asari replied, though the words made her heart ache with guilt and regret at what she had done. But she needed to keep that bottled up, because not only did her and Orion's survival depend on it. But also the rest of the galaxy, since she knew where the Predacon fleet was…thanks to her Mother's Intel.

"…And I am fighting for more than my own survival, and you cannot stand in my way a moment longer." she spat before then firing another biotic blast from her hands, knocking Vasir several metres back. The Agent regained her balance and returned her attention to her opponent, who had started running towards her whilst glowing with a blue shimmer as she charged her biotics.

"You don't have what it takes, but by all means….show me what you've got." she sneered as she created a biotic barrier around her body like a shell, readying herself for whatever Liara had planned. But the younger Asari suddenly performed a biotic charge and smashed into Vasir, shattering her barrier with the strength of the impact and sending the Asari flying into the wall behind her and knocked her unconscious. As he body fell back to the ground, leaving a crater in the wall where she had impacted it. Liara then used biotic lift to pull up a piece of the damaged wall off and hover it over the defeated Agent, a thoughtful yet angry expression on her face as she contemplated ending Vasir's life. But suddenly her attention was caught by the computer's voice as it spoke through the inter-com.

"Warning, twelve minutes until power-core breach."

This earned a thoughtful expression from the Asari before suddenly throwing aside the large piece of debris.

'Orion.' Liara thought as she reactivated her holo-tool which by now had been completely synced to the Shadow Broker's database.

"Computer, where is Orion Darby being held." she asked while looking at the holo-screen hovering over her forearm.

"That name does not compute, please restate your question." the synthesised voice replied, earning a look of frustration from Liara as she stood over the unconscious Vasir, until it finally clicked in her mind why.

"Computer, where is 'the Autobot' being held?"

Suddenly the holo-screen in front of her came to life and revealed a map of the ship, showing her position and another blinking spot in a location not far from her.

"Here." the Computer replied, earning a nod from the Asari.

"Download information concerning Predacon movements to my holo-tool." she then said, gaining a beep from her holo-device as the screen disappeared.

'Hold on Orion, I am on my way.' Liara thought before exiting the room, leaving the corpse of Benezia and a knocked out Vasir alone.