Effecting Fate Future Scenes: Benezia's Chance

Author’s Note: This is a series of planned scenes that have Benezia in them through Mass Effect 1. Shirou will only be using his Tracing ability twice in the first game - I’m aware that my explanation for how magecraft works is wrong… You wouldn’t believe how many people informed me of that little fact. But it is how I genuinely understood it at the time, I don’t think it’s THAT off, and it fits with the flow of the story I’m going for. Mass Effect 1 has little in the way of magecraft. But Mass Effect 2 will be different.

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Noveria, during the fight with Benezia

Shirou’s POV

Benezia was resisting.

It was clear that doing so was a struggle and caused her pain, but even if it had only been for a moment, she was able to give them key information about Saren’s plans.

Even now that the indoctrination had taken hold of her once more, Shirou could see the jerkiness of her movements that indicated she was still fighting. Trying to give them a better chance to kill her.

Yet as Shirou looked, all he could see was somebody that needed help.

“Try to keep her attention for a moment,” He told Arturia, “I’m going to sneak around her. I think I can save her.”

The statement got a fragile look of hope to appear on Liara’s face.

“Very well,” Arturia gave him a suspicious look. “What are you planning?”

Shirou couldn’t resist a small chuckle. “Something that Rin would call me an idiot for I imagine.” He responded lightly before dashing to the side before she could respond.

He couldn’t exactly tell her he was going to use magecraft - too many people around. But he was confident Arturia would understand.

Arturia was clearly unhappy with his response, but sure enough increased the pressure, holding Benezia’s attention and giving Shirou time to concentrate.

He’d been extremely conservative with his magecraft, and proximity to Arturia helped. Even inactive, her dragon core was passively leaking out minute amounts of mana, which helped him replenish his own supply.

At the moment, he was about as close to full as he was going to get.

He breathed out, tuning the battle out as he concentrated on his inner world to find the tool that he needed.

“Trace… On…” He murmured, his mind finding what he needed. Even though it had been a while since Hearst used it, the motions came easily.

Legend told of a certain woman of Greek origin.

Through the machinations of a goddess and a hero’s foolishness, an innocent woman was forced to betray her family, only to be betrayed in turn for actions she had no control over.

The Witch of Betrayal, she who killed even her own family.

Yet before she was known as a Witch; before the lies, the heartache, and betrayal, she was known by a different title.

Medea, the Queen of Colchis.

Medea was pure and kind, and perhaps a little naive. She hated seeing others in pain, and while under the tutelage of Hecate, she crafted the staff that would become her first Noble Phantasm.

Shirou darted around the dias, dodging the various attacks thrown his way as he got in close, a long staff forming in his hand.

While he was more familiar with Rule Breaker, and it would certainly be easier to create, it wouldn’t be appropriate for this encounter. Whatever was affecting Benezia wasn’t magecraft, thus, there was nothing to sever.

The staff finished forming right as Benezia caught sight of Shirou, the Asari Matriarch sneering as she raised a glowing blue hand. But underneath the hatred, he could see grief and resigned regret.

Please let me have enough mana for this…

“May it become a world where no one can hurt, and no one can be hurt.” Shirou intoned softly, power flowing from him and into the construct, two circles within the staff beginning to glow as it touched Benezia.  “All Flaws must be Repaired - Pain Breaker.”

Pain Breaker. The staff of Medea during her teenage years, easily the happiest time of her life.

While some might liken it to time manipulation, it really wasn’t. - instead, it calculated the proper figure that one originally had and automatically repaired the body while abolishing all other abnormalities.

This was the magnum opus of one who studied under the goddess of magic.

Benezia stopped in her tracks, the hatred in her eyes flowing away as she stumbled back in confusion. A hand moved up to her head, almost in disbelief.

Shirou thinks he managed a smile as darkness soon overtook him, the staff slipping from his fingers.

… Arturia was going to be upset at him, wasn’t she?

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Benezia’s POV

It was gone.

Benezia found herself reeling in incomprehension.

“My mind… I, I can’t hear that thing anymore.” Benezia could hardly believe her own senses. “How?”

The foreign pressure within her mind, one that she had been fighting and losing for years was finally gone. That insidious whispering that she hadn’t even noticed until now was silent.

The overwhelming relief was enough that she was on the verge of breaking down, sobbing in relief.

After experiencing it for so long, her mind and body puppeted by some cruel entity, this absence felt like pure bliss.

“M-mom?”

Ah, that’s right. They were still in a situation, weren’t they?

Commander Emiya was on the ground, unconscious after he did… whatever that was. That miraculous staff beside him. Looking up further, the first thing Benezia saw was the face of Liara.

“Liara, I -“ she was cut off as Liara flung herself into Benezia’s arms and started crying.

She swiftly realized it wasn’t just her thoughts that were freed. All the pain from the previous fight was gone, from scratches to the broken rib that should be aching from how hard Liara was holding her.

Liara sobbed, “You were just going to give up… j-just laying down for us to kill you. I-I-I thought I was going to have to kill you.” Her poor daughter hiccuped, lifting her head and giving a tearful glare. “D-don’t ever do that again!”

Hesitantly, Benezia wrapped her arms around Liara, the motion feeling off.

How long had it been since she had hugged her daughter?

“I’m sorry, my Little Wing.” Benezia whispered, pressing their foreheads together, the apology for more than just that.

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After they get back to the ship

Benezia looked around the small room and couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle.

They were treating her as a high ranking prisoner, for which she understood. However, this small ship was clearly lacking prison cells. So they gave her one of the private rooms.

Even after all this time, she could still identify the traces of her darling daughter.

The way the bed was pristine, yet the desk was a mess from how Liara would often fall asleep at her desk. Physically written notes lay in random places because when she had an idea it was simply too much effort to stand up and walk three feet to grab her commlink.

This room reeked of her daughter, and that brought a healthy amount of nostalgia with it.

Benezia knew she was feeling more emotional, yet she couldn’t help it. Years of being trapped inside her own head gave her plenty of time to think. To think of her regrets.

She had been expecting to die. At that point, she would have considered it a mercy. Yet thanks to the efforts of Commander Emiya, she had a new lease on life.

It was an odd feeling.

Now that she was thinking about it, her mind went back to the Commander and the staff he wielded.

Commander Pendragon took the staff and refused to answer any questions, simply saying it was an Alliance secret.

Benezia was actually impressed.

Pendragon had quite the poker face.

Every race had their secrets of course, but she would be willing to bet that the Alliance wasn’t aware of this particular one.

Even after several hours, she still had no idea what the Commander had done. That type of healing, to that extent, with only a touch?

The concept was mind boggling.

Pain Breaker… All flaws must be repaired…

Her thoughts were interrupted by somebody knocking, followed by the door opening, revealing the other Commander.

“Commander Pendragon.” Benezia greeted cordially. “I’d like to thank you for the accommodations. I hope that your bond mate is alright?”

The Commander gave her a sharp look at that, and Benezia shook her head softly. “The concern you two had for each other and the closeness you shared gave you away I’m afraid.”

The Commander gave a huff, “… He’s fine.” She admitted eventually. “He’s still unconscious, but he should wake up in a few hours.”

“I see.” Benezia sat on the bed gracefully. The idea of a tool requiring a user's energy was rather unusual. “And how may I assist you, Commander?”

“I wanted to let you know that I talked with the Council.” Pendragon explained, sitting down on one of the crates. “They have ordered you to be brought to the Citadel for trial.”

Benezia sighed. “That is to be expected.” She admitted softly.

She had committed a lot of atrocities while being controlled. Had failed those followers that came with her.

Pendragon’s expression softened slightly. “I was hoping to discuss what you knew of Saren and his plans before we reached the Citadel.” The commander then gave her a scrutinizing look. “You were essentially Saren’s second in command, is that correct?”

“Of a sort.” Benezia frowned. “I was allowed to offer advice, but I could never disagree with his orders if he gave them. And once the indoctrination truly set in, he stopped bothering to give me any information outside of what was necessary.”

And her indoctrinated self allowed it.

“But you know of some of his plans, correct?” Pendragon asked intently. “You know of his bases or people working with him?”

“Once again, to a degree.” Benezia shrugged helplessly, and hated the feeling of it. “Controlled as I was, I would have sat in a dark room for days on end had he commanded it.”

“What of a planet named Virmire?” The Commander asked. “Do you know anything about it?”

Benezia took a sharp breath, “That is one of Saren’s bases. Arguably one of his main bases.” She confirmed, suspicion stirring within her. “It was used primarily for research, though it wasn’t necessary for me to know what kind.”

Pendragon nodded thoughtfully before seemingly making a decision. “The Council discovered its existence. A Salarian task force was sent  to investigate it. Now they’ve lost contact with them, and have requested that we look into it.”

Benezia found herself frozen, the thought of her daughter going into that environment.

“Sovereign will be there,” Benezia protested, her heart pounding at the thought of going near that thing once more. And yet her daughter was?  “It will be one of his most heavily defended bases - Saren will be alerted! Sending another scouting run would be pointless!”

Pendragon tilted her head slightly, “I am aware of the risks.” She agreed. “That is why I am here. We still need to drop you off at the Citadel after all. But I was hoping you would know something about the planet’s defenses.”

“No,” Benezia found herself hating Saren all the more for just leaving her in the dark like this. “Saren will have spared no expense to make it the best though, and the Geth will provide an endless source of manpower. You’ll need more than just your crew.”

Not that it was impossible of course. But the risk…

Benezia’s mind was racing as she considered and discarded plans at a rapid rate. The time for relaxation was over.

She didn’t get to where she was by sitting passively on the laurels of others. She was a millennium old Asari Matriarch. Even if her current political clout was destroyed due to her actions while indoctrinated, she was not without options.

She owed a debt the size of a star to Commander Emiya. For freeing her mind from the hell she had been in, she considered it a matter of honor to help them now. Though she would freely admit that even if that didn’t exist, it was in her best interest to help them in any way she could.

This wasn’t just about Saren after all. It was about the ones pulling the strings.

The Reapers.

Benezia knew frighteningly little of them. In the beginning of her time with Saren, she had been determined to learn as much as she could. She had made it a top priority of her operatives.

As time went on, however, none of that seemed to matter. She can only assume the same happened to her operatives when they never reported back.

The only firm knowledge she had was that they were the machine race that exterminated the Protheans, and their technology was either more advanced or completely foreign. Their goals (beyond genocide) were unknown, their origin equally so.

If this was the same foe that was spoken of within the Temple on Thessia, their numbers were reported to be as numerous as the stars themselves. And if each was as powerful as Sovereign himself…

Her indoctrinated self wasn’t aware of how the Conduit would ensure victory - Saren kept that close to his chest - but his certainty was alarming.

And he was close to it.

If it was found and Saren succeeded in bringing the Reapers, it could very well result in a war not seen since the Protheans went extinct.

She could understand why the Councilors did nothing. In the end, what evidence had been presented? The dreams of a previously unknown human Commander and the supposed beliefs of a disillusioned Spectre.

Saren had been very careful in ensuring that nothing concrete remained.

Furthermore, the Counselors were busy. That might sound rather trite, but it was true. Multiple species, multiple governments. Each demanding that their voice be heard, each with their own emergencies that affected the lives of trillions.

Pendragon and Emiya had no pull with the Council - they were a new entity. It took time to build trust.

Unless a legitimate third party brought forth proof, the Councilors assumed they had more important stuff to work on than what a disillusioned Spectre believed to be true.

And Saren capitalized on that.

But she knew. More than that, Commander’s Pendragon and Emiya knew.

“Commander Pendragon.” Benezia looked at the other woman with authority, pulling on the shroud of an Asari Matriarch with ease, “You and I both understand the dangers the Reapers pose. Would you accept my offer of assistance?”

Pendragon’s posture shifted ever so slightly, reacting to Benezia’s more formal tone and responding accordingly. “What is your proposal?”

“Give me a chance to contact a few people, you can even listen in.” Benezia proposed. “Let me do this, and I can guarantee you will have help. It will still be numbers appropriate for a scouting mission, but you’ll have reinforcements.”

A squad of Asari commandos would be easy enough to get. They were unfortunately under a time constraint, but, Goddess willing, she might be able to get a Justicar or another Spectre as well.

In her mind, the threat Saren posed was that dire. If she could, she’d go with the old Krogan practice of throwing asteroids at a planet for maximum devastation.

Pendragon stared impassively at her once more. “I will talk to the rest of the crew.” She said eventually, and Benezia was pleased to note that she wouldn’t be asking the Council. They’d shut her down for sure. “I’m not guaranteeing anything… But I will not let any of my men die if I can prevent it.”

Benezia nodded. “Of course.”

As the Commander stood up, Benezia reached out once more. “Could you send my daughter if you see her?” She asked. “There are some things that I need to speak to her about.”

“Very well.” Pendragon agreed before leaving Benezia to her thoughts.

She swiftly moved to the desk and grabbed one of her daughter's pieces of paper and pencil and began writing.

Benezia was going to go to jail the moment they reached the Citadel, that much was in stone. Once she was there, her ability to help would be limited. Thus, she had to do as much as she could now.

Poor Liara, Benezia frowned slightly. She was still so young… But if she wished to stand in this conflict, then there were things that she needed to know.

Benezia had had centuries to gather secrets, blackmail, and forge connections. Liara would have only a matter of days to learn what Benezia could teach.

Her Little Wing had spread her wings to fly years ago, but it had been in a relatively safe environment. Now, it was time for those wings to learn to fly in turbulent weather.

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One long conversation later

“I… I don’t understand.” Liara said in a dazed voice. “There’s an active Prothean Beacon on Thessia? T-that doesn’t make any sense! Why wouldn’t Councilor Tevos acknowledge the Reaper threat immediately if she already knew they existed?!”

Benezia sighed and shook her head. “I’m afraid the answer is all too easy to understand - nothing happened.”

Liara frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Liara, how long has it been since Asari first discovered space travel?” Benezia asked gently. After waiting a bit, she answered “It’s been about two and a half thousand years. You’re the historian - do you know some of the first things we did?”

Liara gave a frown, “I’m an expert on Prothean History, not Asari.” She grumbled before thinking about it.

“We found the Citadel, and swiftly made contact with the Salarians.” Benezia answered for her. “We found many new races and uplifted them, the Elcor and the Hanar being two such examples, but there are so many more. Liara, the common Asari might not have realized, but the Asari were preparing for when the Reapers came. We were gathering allies. Giving them enough technology so they’d be able to help us in a potential conflict.”

“That’s…” Liara gave another cute frown and paced back and forth for a bit. “Then why did we stop? Clearly we’re not preparing anymore.”

“I told you. Nothing happened.” Benezia sighed. “With every year that passed, every new system discovered, nothing happened. No threat. Oh, there were a couple of false starts - the Rachni, the Geth - but we never found a threat such as the one described by the Beacon, and one can be vigilant for only so long. Generation after generation passed, and even the most diligent figured that it was merely myth. Or that the threat was long gone - even the best of machines require maintenance, and perhaps this mysterious threat died out? Two thousand years, Little Wing... That’s a long time, even for us.”

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The Battle on the Citadel with Saren

Arturia cursed as she dodged another grenade, watching as Saren flew by on his stupid hoverboard.

“You should have accepted my offer Pendragon!” Saren called out as he used biotics to block Shirou’s arrows. “Humanity could have been spared the coming tragedy. But now you’ve intrigued him - I don’t know what you did, but Sovereign has his eyes set on humans. I shudder to think what he intends for them.“

Suddenly, a powerful wave of biotics surged from behind him, rending both Saren and his board, throwing him to the ground.

“It will be a mercy compared to what I have planned for you.”

To his credit, Saren immediately righted himself. Looking at who attacked him caused him to falter.

“B-Benezia?” He asked in disbelief. “What are you - Gah!”

Matriarch Benezia stalked out of the shadows while throwing another blast his way. No longer wearing her dress, she instead wore simple and plain clothes. The change of apparel did nothing to detract from the air of regality and authority that radiated off of her. Nor the biotics that twisted around her, visible for all to see. It constantly shifted and flowed off of her before concentrating into spheres of dark energy in her hands.

Much like while they were on Noveria, her expression was one of disdain. But no longer was it directed at them - but Saren.

“Benezia, stop this!” Saren ordered, “attack the humans immediately!”

It was only instinct that had him leap aside, as biotics landed where he used to be, the reave ripping the floor apart.

“I am no longer your puppet.” Benezia hissed, gesturing with a hand, sending a small swarm of debris at Saren. “And you will regret using me as such!”

Even if Saren had time for a counter attack, he wouldn’t have been able to through his shock. “Y-you broke the indoctrination?!” He gasped in disbelief. “How?!”

Benezia scoffed before sparing a look at Shirou and herself. “Go investigate the terminal.” She ordered. “I’ll take care of this.”

The Asari matriarch didn’t bother waiting for a response before marching towards Saren once more, the effects of her biotics growing stronger with every step.

“Have you ever been in a fair fight with an Asari Matriarch, Saren?” She asked archly. Saren tried to use his own biotics, but she sent a bit of her own in the energy he gathered, destabilizing it and causing it to blow up in his face.

“I believe you need a lesson on why most people avoid such foolishness.” Benezia finished grimmly.