Matriarch Benezia

Matriarch Benezia is a very powerful asari biotic and spiritual leader among her people. She is also Liara T'Soni's mother, though the two have not spoken in years. When the evidence that proved Saren Arterius was responsible for the Eden Prime attack also proved Benezia was working alongside him, it surprised those who knew her, as Benezia's actions seemed to be completely out of character.

Matriarch Benezia is voiced by Marina Sirtis.

Dossier
Given her status as a matriarch, Benezia must have lived for almost a millennium. She was known and revered as a teacher of religion and philosophy. When she was in the 'matron' phase of her life, Benezia had a daughter, Liara T'Soni. Unusually Benezia mated with another asari, considered a faux pas in their society. (After discovering their ability to mate with any species, asari consider producing offspring with their own kind as wasteful because "nothing is gained" from pureblooded asari offspring.) Liara tells Commander Shepard that she doesn't know who Benezia chose as her partner; she and her mother never discussed Liara's second parent, and Liara believes Benezia may have been ashamed of her choices. She raised Liara alone - not an uncommon occurrence in asari society - and was amused when Liara chose to study Prothean archaeology, a minor rebellion against her forward-thinking mother.

According to Liara, Benezia felt that the asari should have a greater role in shaping galactic events. She was Saren Arterius' executor and a fellow Binary Helix investor. Somehow Benezia discovered Saren's plan to aid the Reapers, and decided to try and guide him down a less destructive path. Benezia gave her followers a choice - only those who were willing had to accompany her. Many refused because they thought her plan was too dangerous, but others, including Shiala, believed in her. With their help Benezia tried to dissuade Saren from his insanity.

But the influence of the Reaper Sovereign was too powerful and Benezia became enslaved to Saren's will, along with her retinue of guards and commandos. Benezia's position became something between Saren's advisor and his second-in-command. Saren knew Benezia's value; even when she enraged him by bringing the news that Shepard had accidentally used the Prothean Beacon, he restrained himself from attacking her and ordered her to ensure the Commander was eliminated.

Through Binary Helix, Benezia funded a secret project on Noveria to breed rachni from a newly discovered egg. They were intended to form part of Saren's army, but when Binary Helix removed the brood from the Rachni Queen's presence, the rachni went rogue. Benezia went to the lab at Peak 15 to investigate the situation and to gain information from the queen's genetic memory about the location of the Mu Relay. She was accompanied by her escort of asari commandos and caused a stir at Port Hanshan when she arrived, telling the authorities she was there as Saren's representative. Lorik Qui'in told Shepard that "Lady Benezia was dressed for her role. An asari matriarch in a pin-striped suit set tongues wagging amongst the younger male employees... so to speak."

Benezia, aware that Shepard was on Saren's trail, brought geth in crates to Noveria with her and left them to guard the garage. She also left agents such as Alestia Iallis behind (or recruited Captain Ventralis, depending on circumstances) to stop Shepard from reaching her. After fighting geth, rachni and Benezia's followers, the squad found her waiting for them in the labs beside the Rachni Queen. Even Liara's presence in the squad, if Shepard chose to bring her, didn't stop Benezia from unleashing her biotics and her commandos against them.

Finally Benezia, who had used her incredible mental strength to keep a part of her mind free of indoctrination, managed to break from Saren's control very briefly. She described the horrors of indoctrination, how it feels to be trapped in your own mind: "beating upon the glass as your hands torture and murder..." She gave Shepard the coordinates for the Mu Relay, though she couldn't tell the Commander any more of Saren's plan, and warned of Sovereign's incredible power before the indoctrination began to overcome her. Benezia managed to tell Liara that her daughter had always made her proud, but finally turned on Shepard and the squad were forced to kill her. As she lay dying, she claimed not to see the light promised in asari religion.

After Noveria, Shepard can talk to Liara about what happened, but Liara claims she is all right. She prefers to remember Benezia as she was: a kind, beautiful woman who loved her.

Mass Effect 3
Benezia's unknown bondmate is revealed to be Matriarch Aethyta. If Shepard nudges Liara into speaking with Aethyta and overhears their conversations, it is discovered that Benezia and Aethyta were together for a hundred years until they began disagreeing over what path the asari should take; Benezia wished to do things the smart way but Aethyta simply desired to fight.

After the mission on Thessia, in which Liara learns that the asari government hid a Prothean beacon, which was the source of many of the asari civilization's advances, Liara wonders whether her mother was in on the coverup, and suspects that she regarded her career choice to study the Protheans as "such a joke." EDI, however, suggests that Benezia was motivated by a desire to protect Liara from the consequences should this come to light, and Liara thanks EDI.

Tactics

 * See Noveria: Peak 15.

Trivia

 * Benezia's last name is never revealed, but being Liara's mother, her surname may also be T'Soni; however, asari appear to discard their surname when they become matriarchs.
 * Benezia calls Liara "Little Wing" just before she dies. This could be a nod to Counselor Troi, played by Benezia's voice actress Marina Sirtis on Star Trek: The Next Generation, as Troi's mother always called her "Little One" (much to Counselor Troi's chagrin).
 * According to Liara, Benezia's favorite color was yellow, because she wore clothes of that color.

Matriarchin_Benezia