Prologue:

Set in an alternate Mass Effect reality. In this story, occurring after the events of Mass Effect 2, the Collectors have been defeated, their base destroyed. After that, with Commander Shepard's help, Dr. Liara T'Soni tracked down the Shadow Broker to his lair, and together they defeated the nefarious creature. Liara then commandeered the Shadow Broker's ship, and took control of his entire operation, becoming the new Shadow Broker.

Some months later, Commander Shepard and his entire crew separated from the organization known as Cerberus. Despite having collaborated on an important mission to stop the Collectors and - for a time - save the galaxy from the Reaper threat, Shepard still disapproved of Cerberus as an organization, as they were willing to resort to distasteful practices in their quest to ensure the primacy of human interests. In the time since then, Shepard and his loyal squad roamed the galaxy as essentially a rogue faction, reporting to no one. Their only goal: to find a way to stop the Reapers.

One mission they undertook in this time involved a lead left over from their association with Cerberus, wherein they investigated several of the organization's research sites that operated under the code name Project Firewalker. On various planets scattered around the galaxy, Cerberus scientists had been on the trail of Prothean artifacts which they were attempting to study, in order to discover a tool they could use to combat the Reaper threat. However, each of those research sites had been discovered by enemy factions first- either the Collectors, the Geth, or indoctrinated agents of the Reapers within Cerberus' own ranks. At each of the sites that Shepard investigated, they had found only bodies and devastation. But they also found clues that lead them to other research sites.

At the final such research site, on the planet of Kopis, Shepard had yet again found a trail of dead bodies. However, after fighting their way through automated defense systems, they had also been fortunate enough to discover an object of true interest: a Prothean artifact. Somehow, this artifact had been discovered, and kept a secret, for several years. The artifact was a massive metallic spherical orb, the size of a large boulder, yet floating effortlessly in the air, buoyed by unseen Mass Effect fields.

When Commander Shepard approached the artifact, he was stunned to realize that he had seen its kind before: an orb of the same dimensions, and floating in the same fashion, had been on the planet of Eletania, when he'd briefly explored a portion of that world's surface several years ago. When he had interacted with that orb, he'd been granted a vision of a Cro Magnon hunter from 50,000 years in the past - and so had learned that the Protheans had actually studied humanity as an early sapient species, and taken interest in them. Although the discovery was profound, the Sphere had only responded to Commander Shepard, and when Alliance scientists later came to the planet to study it, they were unable to decipher any further secrets. They later reported that all energy readings had ceased from the artifact - some speculating that because it was exposed to the elements on Eletania, it had to expend a great deal of power to keep its mass effect fields intact for the many millennia it hovered in place, waiting to be discovered.

The artifact on Kopis was different, however. This one was hidden deep within a system of caves, and Cerberus scientists had somehow discovered a way to augment the artifacts own power source, according to the logs that Shepard studied. When he encountered the artifact, it was glowing with a green energy, seeming almost to be full of life. And when he approached the artifact and hacked the controls that were maintaining its mass effect fields, he was amazed to discover that his innate connection with the Protheans again gave him a native understanding of how to manipulate the Sphere's functions. Manipulating the terminal with a certainty that his squadmates could hardly comprehend, he was able to get the Sphere to do something incredible: in an instant, with a flash of green energy, the huge silver sphere suddenly shrank down to a much smaller size - small enough to be gripped in one hand. It was cool to the touch, and the energy readings were dormant. And somehow, it was also light enough to be picked up and carried with relative ease.

Shepard excitedly logged his discovery, and immediately had his crew relay the news - on an encrypted frequency - to his companion, the Asari archaeologist, Dr. Liara T'soni. Liara, an expert on Prothean artifacts, immediately departed her base to rendez-vous with the Normandy, excited to personally study this important find.

---

The door whooshed softly as Liara stepped into the Commander's cabin. Shepard was on one of the lower decks, she knew, likely still debriefing some of the Normandy's crewmates after the recent mission to the planet of Kopis. She had arrived on the ship only minutes after the shuttle had returned from the planet surface. Shepard wouldn't be expecting her so soon after the mission - why would he? But he had no way of knowing how closely she'd been monitoring him ever since she became the Shadowbroker. The information resources on the Shadowbroker's ship were truly incredible, and Liara's own savvy understanding of interstellar communications and attention to detail had allowed her to take full advantage of them. She had tracked Shepard's progress on discovering the truth behind Project Firewalker, and had been suspecting the existence of a hidden Prothean relic long before the Normandy had sent her the message confirming its location on Kopis. Cerberus had been very thorough in covering their tracks, but not thorough enough for Liara.

Truth be told, Liara had made preparations to travel to the Normandy's location on the day she received the message, regardless of whatever they had found on Kopis. She had been meaning to visit Shepard for some time now, but her work in the past few months had kept her too busy to justify it. But she'd also had time to reconsider the relationship between her and her former Commander. They had been lovers once, not long ago. Only a few years had passed since she'd last felt Shepard's touch, since they'd melded their minds and souls together in the ultimate act of love. But since that time, the Commander Shepard that she knew had perished - killed during an attack by the Collectors, which destroyed the original Normandy, and left Shepard a charred husk, devoid of life. But somehow Cerberus had brought him back. Back from the dead. Liara still had a hard time believing it. When she had first heard the news of Shepard's return, she refused to believe it could really be him. Surely Cerberus had merely recreated his body - there was no way the soul inside it could still be the same. But as she observed Shepard's behavior from afar - gathering an elite strike team, destroying the Collector Base against all odds, defying the Reapers at every turn - she began to suspect that maybe she was wrong. Perhaps somehow, miraculously, the real Shepard had actually returned. Her Shepard.

It wasn't until she teamed up with him on Ilium, and later on the former Shadowbroker's capital ship, that she truly started to believe, however. Seeing him in action, seeing the smooth and decisive way he performed in combat - even hearing him crack jokes, in his strange way - these things had begun to convince her that Shepard was the real deal. But even when they finally took down Shadowbroker, Liara still didn't want to admit to herself that she could fully trust Shepard. She had been hurt, inside, when he had died. She didn't want to be hurt again. It was a kind of pain that many Asari were familiar with, being one of the longest-living species in the galaxy. Many of her kind had experienced the pain of watching a loved one die. But that didn't make it any easier when it suddenly happened to Shepard, and she wasn't comfortable knowing that she would almost certainly have to experience that pain twice.

And so despite herself, she had pushed Shepard away after they'd captured the Shadowbroker's ship. She told him that she would do best on her own, and that the Normandy would be fine without her. And she didn't regret that decision - the time alone had allowed her to fully engage in her duties as the new Shadowbroker, and had also given her some time to think. And in that time, as she studied Shepard's progress, as she considered the way she felt around him when they had worked together, Liara had come to realize that she did believe he was back. The fact that he'd been able to completely sever ties with Cerberus had proved it. If they'd built a puppet, they never would have allowed him to cut his strings. And deep down, she also realized that the connection she had with them was still there, somehow. When they'd been in close proximity, she had felt it, felt echoes of his emotions, felt his desire for her. Asari were not mind-readers - this kind of affinity only existed between two souls who had been entwined in the embrace of eternity. At the time, she had suppressed that feeling, not wanting to give in to her urges. But her time in solitude had made her realize just how special the bond between them truly was, to have survived death. Having come to that conclusion, Liara had decided to seek out Shepard, when the time was right, and rekindle their lost love, if he would have her.

So here she was on the Normandy, far ahead of when Shepard could possibly be expecting her. In anticipation of the message from Kopis, Liara had her transport fueled and ready that day, their course plotted out, and she was dressed and ready to go at a moment's notice. In fact, the ship departed mere seconds after receiving the transmission from the Normandy. Thanks to the faster-than-light travel afforded by the Mass Relays, Liara was able to arrive in a few hours, which was just enough time for the crew of the Normandy to extract the Prothean artifact and return to their ship. Liara was also dressed up for her reunion with Shepard. Rather than her typical, functional white suit that she wore on archaeological missions, she was wearing a form-fitting red and purple dress, an elegant garment that complemented the brilliant natural blue of her skin, and hugged her feminine figure. She was fairly sure she knew how Shepard was going to respond to seeing her in this outfit, and she was looking forward to it.

Liara stepped forward into Shepard's cabin, slowly inhaling through her nose as she entered. The room smelled like Shepard. It was a smell she hadn't realized how much she'd missed, until now. The thought briefly crossed her mind to simply strip naked, and have Shepard take her the second he walked through the door. But she dismissed it - certain forms were meant to be followed, and the sex would be that much better if she let him disrobe her first, as foreplay. A small smile crept onto her face though, as she anticipated the intimacy she was about to experience with her lover. She felt her heart beat slightly faster. At the same time, another thought came to her. She was not truly alone in the cabin. A few fish swam lazily in a large aquarium to her left, but they were not her concern. The Normandy's AI module, an advanced prototype named EDI, had sensors all over the ship. It wouldn't do for her reunion with Shepard to be observed by a third party.

"EDI," Liara announced in her melodic voice. "Could you let the Commander know that I'm waiting for him in his quarters, whenever he is ready? And could you give this cabin full privacy for the next... 30 minutes?" she asked, blushing slightly in spite of herself. Although EDI was technically a mere machine, she was very familiar with the behavior patterns of organics, and surely knew what the request meant. Before Shepard had perished, the two lovers had made similar requests of the Normandy's surveillance VI, and thought nothing of it. But EDI was different - Liara had studied her extensively, and had come to the conclusion that the AI possessed true sentience. She - and Liara knew the crew members thought of EDI as a "she", not an "it" - would be fully aware that Shepard and Liara were intending to copulate. But she also seemed respectful and capable of discretion, according to reports. Liara was not disappointed by EDI's response to her request. "Of course, Dr. T'Soni," replied the female voice in a placid tone over the speaker hidden in the ceiling. "Shepard is currently speaking with Garrus in the main battery. I will notify him as soon as he completes his debriefing."

"Thank you, EDI." said Liara. That conversation would surely only take another minute at most. Garrus was hardly one for small talk. Soon Shepard would be here, and they would be finally reunited. The Asari idly watched the fish swim in the aquarium for a few moments, then looked around the room again. As she did, something suddenly caught her eye. A flash of silver that she hadn't noticed when she first walked in, glinting behind the Commander's desk, near the couch. Liara stepped closer, and her breath caught. There, on the coffee table, right in front of her, was a smooth silver sphere, about the size of her head. It was the Prothean relic. Shepard must have had it sent directly up to his cabin once they retrieved it from Kopis. Liara scoffed slightly at the audacity of such a move - didn't he have any reverence for such a priceless artifact? He had it sitting out for display as if it were an art piece, a mere paperweight! But she calmed herself immediately after that thought. The Commander hadn't even been to his own cabin yet. Surely the orb had been placed there by a crew member, who might not have known where else to put it. And keeping the orb in the commander's cabin made sense - there was hardly a safer place on the ship to store it.

Liara slowly approached the object, eyes fixated upon its smooth surface. She considered asking EDI about it - saying her name would trigger a cessation of the privacy protocol, and EDI would be able to help her analyze the sphere. But Liara didn't want to start working on this just now. She needed to focus on establishing her relationship with Shepard, not get distracted by the artifact. There would be time for a full analysis later. But she also couldn't help herself; with the relic right in front of her, she was drawn towards it like a moth seeking a bright light. She was surprised it was so small. She'd read the mission report, and believed Shepard's initial description of the orb as being the same size as the one they'd discovered on Eletania, several years ago. It was quite odd, that this one was small enough to fit in the captain's quarters, let alone to sit on a coffee table. The mission report had stated that the orb had pulsed with energy at Shepard's touch, and then shrank down to a size and weight where it was able to be picked up. The orb had been scanned before being brought aboard, and was determined to be inert.

Mind racing with the possibilities of what she might be able to eventually discover by studying the relic, Liara bent down and picked it up, completely unaware of what was about to unfold. As it turns out, the Protheans had attuned the relic to Asari biology, and designed it in such a way that it could transfer energy, in the form of mass, into a suitable host. This pool of energy would turn an Asari biotic into a living weapon, capable of tremendous feats of telekinetic power far beyond what any organic could conceive. Should such an asari wield this power against the Reapers, she would be unstoppable on the battlefield. But with their limited knowledge of Asari biology, the Protheans scientists who created the sphere had not been able to anticipate how the additional mass would be distributed on the Asari host...

As Liara lifted the artifact from the table, she was stunned by how light was. The mass that must have been contained in the object was tremendous, yet she was able to heft it with only one hand. Prothean ingenuity never ceased to amaze her - she wondered if she'd ever be able to unlock the orb's secrets. As she held it up to her face, however, BWOM she suddenly felt the relic pulse with energy. Its silver surface became illuminated, as a soft green light emanated from the sphere, its reflection shining in Liara's wide eyes. "Oh!" she exclaimed. Somehow it had become activated by her picking it up, but what could it be doing? Her question was immediately answered when she felt a sudden tightness in her dress, and looked down. Her breasts were bigger. They had always been prominent on Liara's lithe figure, but she'd sometimes wondered what it would be like to have as ample a figure as her mother, the well-endowed Matriarch Benezia. All Asari continued to develop their mammaries over the course of their long lives - it was simply part of their biology. But Liara was shocked to see centuries of growth suddenly manifesting in her boobs. They were now as big as Benezia's had been. And as she watched, they slowly swelled larger. The fabric of her red dress pulled tighter across their growing masses, the form-fitting material stretching to accommodate.

BWOM Still holding the orb in one hand, Liara witnessed her breasts grow bigger before her eyes, advancing outwards in periodic bursts of swelling. Every few seconds, the relic pulsated with energy, and then her breasts responded with a surge of growth. She then realized that her chest was also now glowing, radiating the same soft green light that came from the sphere. "By the Goddess," she said softly. "This is incredible!" The Prothean orb was doing this somehow, transferring mass into her as she held it. But despite this realization, Liara continued to hold the relic aloft, transfixed by the effect that she was witnessing. The feeling of growth was not an unpleasant one. In fact, it felt quite good. What can the artifact possibly be doing to me? she wondered. The Protheans never do anything without reason. How could this energy be affecting me so? Perhaps she should have felt more worried and less curious. But as her breasts grew bigger than her head, she smiled slightly, wondering how Shepard would respond to seeing her new figure. He'd always found her boobs attractive, and she remembered feeling the twinge of excitement within her lover when she'd explained that they'd grow larger over the course of her life, as well as the slight disappointment she felt when he commented that he wouldn't be alive long enough to see it happen, due to his short human lifespan. Well, now he would be able to see a much more buxom version of Liara than he could have ever anticipated.

BWOM The orb pulsed again, and more flesh poured into her dress. The garment was becoming incredibly tight. The futuristic material was resilient, but it was never meant to stretch this much. Small ripping noises came from the front of it, as the fabric began to fail. Liara was starting to become concerned. "Goddess... they're getting so big..." she said aloud, feeling the additional mass coalesce within her chest, beginning to pull her center of gravity forward. They continued to grow for several seconds, slowly pushing aside Liara's free hand. Instinctively, she grabbed a handful of her growing right breast as she felt it swell outward - at first, her fingertips were just able to brush against her nipple, but even as she touched it, it grew outside her grasp. Her boobs were now too big for her hands to even reach around, if she tried. For the first time, she wondered just how big they were going to get. Only a minute had passed since she'd picked up the relic, and it had already grown her breasts large enough that she'd have trouble fitting through most doorways. A chilling realization came to mind. The mission log said that the artifact would have been too big to fit into the Normandy's cargo bay... she thought, and her eyes widened as BWOM the orb again pulsed in her hand.

Her breasts ballooned outward, absorbing the energy from the silver sphere, converting it into additional mass. The orb fell to the floor with a THUNK! as Liara finally dropped it, as much out of awe for what she was witnessing as a desire to break contact with the artifact. Her hands slowly came to her mouth as her boobs grew bigger and bigger, and with a RRRIIPPP!!, she suddenly felt a hole appear in the front of her dress, followed quickly by another. She briefly felt a reprieve from the tightening pressure in her dress as blue flesh muffined out of the holes, but immediately felt the tightness return as the dress fought to stay intact. Her breasts continued to expand relentlessly, pushing out of the front of her dress, tearing the holes wider and wider. The entire bottom part of Liara's vision was becoming filled with her own cleavage, her azure skin shining with a green aura of Prothean energy. As they surpassed the size of beanbag chairs, they began to become too heavy for Liara to carry. She cast her eyes around the room, starting to wonder just how much more mass she could take on until she outgrew the cabin.

BWOM the orb pulsed, dashing her hopes that breaking skin contact with the artifact would sever the connection. Her breasts surged forward again, and Liara suddenly fell forward, unable to handle the weight anymore. She didn't have far to fall - her boobs were so big that her knees didn't even hit the floor. Instead she fell onto a cushion of her own flesh. She tried to stand back up, but they were simply too heavy. She managed to reposition herself so that her legs weren't in danger of being trapped by her growing mammaries, but aside from that, Liara was completely at the mercy of the artifact's plans for her. As she slowly rose up from the ground, buoyed up by her swelling breasts, she cursed her own curiosity for getting her into this predicament. It wouldn't have been the first time she'd underestimated what contact with a Prothean device could do. At least it feels good, she thought. Too bad about this nice dress though. The elegant garment she had worn was now complete tatters at the front, as two blue spheres now completely dominated the Asari's frame. Somehow, though, they had not yet severed every thread - parts of the dress still clung together.

BWOM The artifact released another pulse, and Liara felt herself rise higher above the floor, felt the skin of her breasts come into contact with more and more of the cabin space as they ballooned even larger. It was fortunate that at least this was taking place in the Commander's cabin, away from the eyes of the rest of the crew. "By the Goddess!" she exclaimed breathily, "Nnnnggghh! This is getting ridiculous!" she struggled to position herself atop the rising tide of blue boobflesh that was encroaching on more and more of the room. Her breasts had enveloped the low coffee table already, and filled the entire sectional couch that took up a corner of Shepard's cabin. They were slowly pushing the commander's computer chair aside, and nearing the bed in the other corner. She glanced upward and was grateful to see that the highest part of the ceiling was above her, at least. But she still was beginning to wonder if that would be enough space, at this rate. She was forced to curl her legs behind her, as her feet started running into the walls, her high heels still on.

Just then, the door to the cabin opened with a WHOOSH, and Commander Shepard stepped into an incredible scene. Nearly half of his apartment seemed to be filled with a large blue mass, and Liara was laying on top of them, looking up at him with a small smile. It took him a moment to realize that she was actually laying on top of her breasts, and they were glowing. And growing, too. His eyes widened as he watched Liara slowly rise higher and higher above the floor, her cheeks flush with embarrassment. His jaw dropped in amazement. "What..." he said, unable to even comprehend what he was seeing. "Hello, Shepard," she said sheepishly. Suddenly, the Commander heard a BWOM sound coming from the corner of the room, and saw a flash of light pulse from underneath his desk somewhere. Liara's breasts grew faster, and she rose higher and higher off the floor in front of him. He'd seen many weird things in his travel through space, but he'd never seen anything like this. "Nnnngh! Shepard!" Liara grunted, her abashed expression changing to one of rising panic. "It's the artifact that's doing this! You have to get it out of here!"

BWOM the artifact pulsed again. The desk and couch ground against the floor as they were slowly shoved aside. Liara suddenly felt her right breast come into contact with the cool, flat surface of the fish tank that was set into one of the walls. She looked at Shepard, who was looking on awestruck at the spectacle before him. Liara's psychic connection to him allowed her to feel his emotional state, when they were this close. Strangely, she could tell that he was aroused by what he was seeing. Liara was surprised, yet part of her was amused that he was enjoying this. But there was no time for exploring such feelings right now. "Shepard, snap out of it! I'm running out of room!"

The Commander shook his head, and sprang into action. Dashing over to the corner of the room where he'd seen the flash of green light, he ducked under the desk and saw the shiny sphere that he'd so carelessly brought up to his cabin. Cursing himself for putting Liara in danger, he got down on all fours and stretched out his hand to reach for the orb. It was caught between the desk and the couch, and being pushed further into the corner as Liara's breasts grew bigger. Soon it would be out of reach. Straining, Shepard extended his arm fully, and was just able to get his hand around it. Scrambling upright, he backed away from her, just as BWOM it pulsed once more, and she swelled even larger. Her head was getting close to the ceiling. Not knowing what to do, Shepard opened the door to the elevator behind him. He reached in and pressed the button for the cargo bay, then stepped back out. The doors whooshed close, and Shepard looked back at Liara to see if it worked.

Liara looked down at Shepard, laying atop her mountainous boobs. She waited for several seconds, hoping the distance from the artifact would finally disrupt its effect on her. Both of them waited in silence for a full minute, as her growth finally slowed down, and she felt them stop tingling. The light glow of green energy dissipated from her skin. "They've... they've stopped." she said, breathing hard in her confined pocket of space. She glanced upward and was grateful to see that she was positioned close to the air vent, so she wouldn't be in danger of suffocating. How in the world were they going to get her out of the cabin?

"Are you alright?" Shepard asked her, as he stared up at her vastness, also pondering the logistics of extracting her from the Normandy. Despite her predicament, Liara smiled down at him. Being this close, she did feel his genuine concern for her, as well as a resurging arousal at seeing her like this. It was a shame she was too high off the ground to kiss him, because that was what she felt like doing right now. Looking into his eyes, she ignored considering the implications of her massive breasts, for now. Because for some reason, when she was with him, she felt like everything was going to be okay.

Epilogue

"Are you ready?" Shepard asked Liara, as they stood together on a barren, open plain. They were on a rocky uncharted planet, one only known by its numerical designation assigned by the Alliance, FD681. It was the place Liara had chosen for a proper demonstration of her new discovery. She stood in a modified combat suit, a heavily modified one. Her normal suit had been custom-designed to be able to accommodate several cubic meters of additional breast tissue that Liara was now burdened with. But it wasn't all bad. Despite the fact that each of her breasts was as big as a boulder, and taller than she was, they didn't touch the ground. Neither did she, for that matter. Lately, Liara was mostly getting around by hovering through the air, using her biotic powers to levitate. Normally this wouldn't have been possible - before now, she'd only been able to levitate herself briefly, at great effort. But her exposure to the artifact had changed something besides the size of her boobs: it had imbued her with an enormous well of biotic energy to draw from, whenever she wanted. Lifting herself, and her massive bust, for hours at a time - was now a trivial effort.

But they had come down to this empty planet to test the new limits of her potential. The rest of the Normandy's crew was gathered together in a semicircle around Liara and Shepard, waiting expectantly.

Liara closed her eyes, tapping into the deep well of power that she now felt inside her. "I'm ready, Shepard," she said, and when her eyes opened, they glowed brightly with power. Suddenly the ground around the crew began to lightly tremble, and everyone found themselves crouching to keep a wider center of balance. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, far off in the distance, they saw the mountain range they were all looking at start to move. It jiggled back and forth, as if there was an earthquake, and the trembles in the ground became stronger. None of them could have realized it, but Liara was actually using part of her power to suppress the earthquakes around them, otherwise they wouldn't be able to stand at all. A few more seconds of trembling and then suddenly the crew watched as the mountain range exploded. It was several kilometers away, so the sound of the explosion took several seconds to reach them. A few seconds after that, the shockwave reached the party, dust blowing in their faces as a wall of wind smashed into them.

Many had crouched down to brace against the shockwave, but several of the biotic users stood firm, electing to use their own barriers to tank the force. All of them looked from Liara, back to the mountain range, as it seemed she was still concentrating on something, and glowing with biotic power. As they looked in the distance, they all saw something moving, and as they watched, it looked like the mountains were getting closer to them. In fact, that's exactly what was happening. 3 large rocky mountains were racing toward the party at an incredible speed. Liara had severed them completely from their base, leaving a large gap in the far away range. As they got closer, their tremendous size became even more evident. All of their jaws dropped as they witnessed the mountains fly over towards them, then stop abruptly before they reached them. Another massive rush of wind blasted the crew of the Normandy, but this time Liara erected a biotic barrier that protected all of them from the hurricane-force winds that she'd created. And then, everyone watched in awe as the mountains began to slowly rotate around the crew in a circle, levitating as if they weighed nothing at all. For several minutes, Liara kept the demonstration going, then, she gently placed the mountains down in a triangle around the Normandy's landing site. They caused more earthquakes as they settled, as well as more powerful wind gusts, but Liara kept them all protected in her biotic bubble.

Liara let out a long sigh as she released most of her biotic power, keeping only the small trickle she needed to stay off the ground. "Well," she said, glancing at Shepard. "I think we might be able to use this against the Reapers, no?" Shepard wiped a bead of sweat that had formed on his brow. "Yeah," he said. "I think so, too."