Chapter 3: Startled Revelation

Date: 2651 G.S. An hour after departing from Mars; mission start.

Location: En route to third planet.

"Ten minutes till we arrive." Nihlus announced from the cockpit. The shuttle running so quietly that intercom was not needed at all.

Tali gave a small nod as her eyes remained on the window, watching the stars as she tried to distract herself from how good this little craft is. It is natural for a Quarian to like ships, and this one's a technological marvel. But it ran too quietly for her comfort. It felt like it wasn't moving at all, and it's like something's going to go wrong at any moment. Her hands were itching, trying to keep off the handles, trying to look like she's in full control of herself.

Garrus only looked bored, sitting on the other side of the cabin with one leg over the other, gazing emptily at nothing in particular. Looking like he's about to fall asleep.

Tali wished she could sleep right now. Checking her watch revealed that there's still nine minutes left. That time just couldn't go fast enough. The trip up to this point had been mostly uneventful, except a freak discovery of a few energy signatures that vanished as soon as they detected them.

Absentmindedly, she turned to the Asari on her left. A young one by asari standards in any case, but Tali did not know her real age... or much else besides her name. Garrus was the one who introduced her. She was dressed in a fairly stylized white suit that faintly resembled a coat. It gave her a somewhat professional look.

However, upon closer inspection.. Tali could make out the signs of bruises, like the asari had gone through a fight recently.. "Excuse me, you came to the briefing right after a fight?" 'yeah, really smooth, Tali..' she cursed to herself. Of all the topics she could have asked about, it had to be about something that would be better off left alone.

Liara gave her an odd look that plainly told her to avoid asking about exactly that until the asari suddenly decided to answer it anyway, "Told my mother before I came that I decided to take part in this expedition. She was not happy." she paused and shuddered, "And when she couldn't convince me with words, she tried to do so by force. Barely slipped away."

Tali's eyes widened. To go up against a matriarch and get away with only a few scratches was no small feat. "You must be very brave to refuse your mother's wishes. I would never even dare to think about going up against my own father."

"I'm just tired of being over-protected. She's treating me like I'm just a fifty year old child."

The quarian grimaced. Fifty years. Many of the species she knew of would have been middle-aged at that age. But an asari could easily live for over a thousand years. It sounded great. But Tali wasn't sure if that's a curse, or a boon in the end. A long life has its merits, but too much of it...

"Did not get such treatment." Tali leaned forward and gazed down at her boots, "Mother died due to a plague. And father showed his love by working even harder.. He's one of the Admirals."

"So we both got a high-standing parent, while the other one vanished along the way. I never knew my 'father'.. We just got different upbringing."

"I probably had it a little easier than many others since I'm the daughter of an Admiral. But, I ended up waiting eagerly for my pilgrimage. Wanting to get away from the crowds."

"And I prefer studying about ancient cultures in relative solitude." Liara spoke slowly, folding her arms.. "Well, Tali. It would seem we have some similarities and interesting contrasts."

Tali nervously smiled in response, "So it would seem."

"Such a coincidence." she raised a hand, "Here's for a productive journey."

"You meant to say, friendship?" the quarian asked as she performed the same gesture, reached her hand to Liara and gripped it. And shook it.

"You could say that."

"Oh.. bonding are we?" Saren asked as he entered. "Don't let it get in the way of your duties." His voice stuck between a chuckle and a strict groan. But it was clear from the start that he ain't a party animal of any kind. His face looking downright horrific even to one who's relatively used to turians. Head looking more like a cranium with strangely hollow eyes that glowed deep inside with a sort of ruthless intelligence that is unusual, even among Spectres. More a demon than a mortal. And those recent injuries he got through an argument with Mordin Solus back at the base did nothing to improve his looks. In fact, it only made him look worse. Saren halted just after he spoke to place a hand against one of the patches, as if it's the only thing that stopped half his face from falling off. Despite this facial damage, he still went ahead to launch this mission. Did not let the injuries hinder him.

Tali did not like him. Each time their eyes meet, his would grow cold. But they seemed to go cold with every non-turian he met. And every turian he disapproved of. He's probably the kind of guy that would even scowl menacingly at his own mother.

"Nothing wrong with camaraderie, Saren." Liara replied in turn, largely unfazed.

A low thud reverberated through the craft's hull as it slowed down. The blur of stars beyond the window becoming clear again. In the distance, she could faintly see the third planet's moon. Only visible from this angle due to hiding the stars it hid behind itself.

Saren managed to chortle raggedly, "But too much of it-" and was interrupted mid-sentence as Nihlus suddenly exclaimed something in wonder, "What is it?"

"This has got to be a mistake.." the fellow spectre blurted out, "Sensors are going ballistic. Benezia's report spoke of energy readings... but this." a hard noise could be heard as Nihlus tapped a finger hard at an instrument in the cockpit, as if trying to convince the blasted thing that its readings were wrong.

"What is it?" Saren repeated, annoyed as he half-turned and stared holes into the door he just came through.

"Saren... the amount of energy readings are... insane. How did the inhabitants manage to hide this?! All of Illium produce less power than here!"

Saren turned on his omni-tool and had his fellow spectre forward the information to him. After a moment of analysis, he nodded... "Where are these readings coming from? Mornoa's reports described the planet as desolate, radiation-scarred world."

There was a pause as he and the women waited expectantly, "I... don't know. The planet fits the description... but, it's as if they're cloaked."

"... Does this change our mission parameters, Saren?" Liara inquired.

"No." Saren shrugged, "It doesn't change anything. People were killed here by the inhabitants, whoever or whatever they are. So, mission is still a go."

Liara and Tali nodded grimly in response. Garrus did likewise though he was outside Saren's field of vision.

"Nihlus, start the descent. Touch down five kilometers of where the Uncovering sight landed. We'll go the rest of the way on foot." Saren was interrupted from going any further when Nihlus let out an exclamation while the shuttle banked to the side, pieces of debris passing the passenger compartment at a frightening speed. No doubt the shuttle's mass effect field would ward off most of the space junk, but some of the bigger pieces out could do some damage if they hit.

"Sorry, Saren." Nihlus expressed his apology, "But we're inside a field of space junk. The sensors did not even pick it up at all."

"No wonder.. most of it's too small to register since the mass effect fields of most ships are more than capable of handling it." Tali noted as she leaned closer to the window to observe, seeing a few wrecked satellites. "But the remains of satellites are strangely clustered in this area, I have to say." and by strangely, she meant excessively. Space is a huge place, and even in orbit it should be extremely difficult to stumble close enough to actually see an object with one's bare eyes. And here, she could already see several. It made no sense to be clustering them like this. She was about to ask out loud about this when Saren sharply cut her off with an order directed at Nihlus.

Nihlus responded in the affirmative as the shuttle continued banking side to side to avoid hitting the most significant debris, but along the way he strayed too close to one of them. The field surrounding the shuttle flared brightly as an object almost touched it before being shoved aside.

And so, as the shuttle continued towards the planet below, the object – an old weather satellite – was activated by the freak accident and began to transmit information to the surface. To whatever is still capable of receiving it.

And so, unknown to Saren and his crew, the factions of the planet slowly became aware of their presence.

And far away from their location. In the very city they sought to approach... something stirred.

Date: 5th April, 3573 A.D.

Location: Northern dome; hospital.

The dôji under his immediate care whimpered softly, gripping the bed sheet while wriggling the stump of what's left of his left arm, gazing up at the aspect of Patience with such pleading eyes. Dôji aren't organic, but that did not mean the sense of pain was absent.

A low gasp came from his patient as Pardonner raised his unoccupied gauntlet over his patient, casting a shadow across most of the bed. So big and splendid it is, and other patients watched in mild admiration. The palm of it glowed with its own gentle lights before segments shifted into an array, bathing the patient in a pleasantly warm green light. The soldier groaned and writhed as the aspect's Noh aided in his recovery, allowing the arm to regenerate quickly, an event followed quickly as a new gauntlet wrapped itself around the restored limb.

Treatment was finished, Pardonner stopped and took a step back. The patient looked to his healed arm with amazement and relief before rolling off his bed. His eyes momentarily on the aspect before trying to embrace him in gratitude.

But Pardonner smoothly sidestepped, avoiding the intended hug. He did not have time for the adoration his patients often hurled at him. He only added a pat on the dôji's back before moving on to the next patient, who watched him approach with hopeful eyes. Relieved that the pain caused by the deep diagonal cut across his chest will be gone very soon with the upcoming treatment.

As soon as it began though, he was suddenly approached by Daos, who appeared to be quite distraught. "S-sir." he quacked, looking up at the back of Pardonner's head.

"What is it?"

"Sophia called in. There's been some new development. One of the weather satellites in orbit just activated."

Pardonner froze momentarily and wrinkled his delicate eyebrows in confusion. He thought all the satellites in orbit had been destroyed by the kurozu early on in the war. "... Continue."

"He believes it was caused by a meeting with an incoming alien spacecraft. Intelligence has determined a rough estimation of its destination based on flightpath - which puts its heading somewhat in the direction of Luxembourg."

"... I see. So I'm guessing he's heading in to try and capture the aliens. And that he wants us to make a few rooms ready to house them..?"

Daos nodded eagerly, "That's exactly what he wants, sir."

The tiniest sign of a smile tugged at one side of Pardonner's lips, but it faded quickly.. "Prepare section B. It's largely empty at the moment, so it should do fine. Make sure to assign extra guards as well. I'll be there as soon as I finish here."

"Will be done, sir." the assistant saluted before he waddled out in a hurry. Leaving Pardonner to withdraw his gauntlet as his current patient recovered fully.

The soldier appeared distracted as he pulled himself up into sitting position, until he leaped off the bed and bowed to the aspect so he could move on to the next one in the need of healing, "T-thank you."

Pardonner sighed, and gave the dôji a pat on his head, casting a shadow across the soldier's entire being in the process. "No problem. But you got comrades back in your battalion waiting for your return. If you have time for a thanks, then use it to hurry back."

"Y-yes, sir." the soldier stuttered, and saluted awkwardly before he turned to leave. Leaving the aspect to tend to the remaining three patients of this current batch.

"I expect the same of you three, young souls. We all got our duties. All to one day create a world without the kurozu. A better world." he waved his less-than-able arm, not even able to move his claws.. "No matter what, life must go on."

Ten minutes later.

Location: En-route to last reported location of Uncovering sight.

The world below has been quick to prove itself to be a sobering sight. Just like it had been for those who landed previously – only to be slaughtered by an unknown foe. Garrus watched the scenery together with Tali and Liara. The sheer gloominess of it made the atmosphere within the shuttle almost unbearably heavy. A thought to crack a joke only made it halfway to the vocal chord before it was stifled and stomped down like it was a disgusting insect. They're flying above a world-sized grave without a proper tombstone, all alone in the darkness of space. Something in the air demanded that the arrivals show what respect they can.

Liara whispered something too ghostly to actually hear. She itched to get down there and get to work. But ever since they pierced the cloud and saw the darkened world below for the first time, the asari started reciting prayers with a voice softer than he thought possible. He could not hear the words, and yet the prayer stirred something deep inside of him from its slumber. Just a tiny fragment of spirituality. But one that irrevocably left its mark upon him. He did not join her, but he violently curbed anything in him that might be willing to quip something.

"How much further?" Saren disturbed the silence nonchalantly, not caring for anything but the mission up ahead. Garrus winced, but Nihlus on the other hand:

"Just a little more." the fellow spectre replied.. "We should be there in around- what-!"

Everyone in the shuttle toppled as it banked, much more roughly this time.

Garrus quickly made it a point to shield the more vulnerable quarian and asari. Being much more well-armed and accustomed to rough situations he thought it only proper. The female aliens grabbed whatever they could and held on as the craft shook. Saren shouted back at Nihlus severely; "Report!" with no complaint, just straight to the point.

"We're being shot at.. wait one.." the shuttle convulsed and shook like a drum as more than a dozen rounds scored perfect hits. The way it tilted showed that at least one thruster taken out by the barrage. "D-damn it.. I'm losing her!" Nihlus called out as they lost altitude sharply. The horizon outside turning to a most horrible angle as they descended to the ground below while the turian at the helm fought to compensate, attempting to effect a controlled crash-landing to avoid getting them all killed.

The descent was rapid and Garrus felt himself nearly black out several times until he finally fainted, just as the agonized shuttle hit the surface.

...

He did not know for how long he remained like that. Only that eventually, Tali shook him into consciousness. "Can you hear me, Garrus?" she called out to him, her voice faint.

The turian tried to respond, but groaned in agony as the headache hit him in full force. It felt like there's a thousand krogan dancing polka inside his skull, "... What the hell is polka?"

"What?" the quarian asked, staring down at the floored turian like he suddenly turned insane.

"Never mind.." he groaned, trying to get back up.. "..Is that gunfire I hear?"

"Y-yes.." Tali answered, looking to the shuttle door, which had been forced open after the crash. Liara stood the closest, using some kind of barrel as cover while the others stood further ahead. Firing at something he couldn't see .. "Something's attacking us.. I don't know what it is. But it freaks me out."

Several rounds hit the shuttle and rocked it side to side. That more than anything woke him up.. searching his back for a weapon until he managed to secure a hold on his rifle and rose up. The headache remained, but he fought it to the sidelines as he rushed out.. not even waiting for a proper all-clear signal.

At first glance, it looked like they had crash landed in the middle of a factory, but he had no time to look it over in detail as he scanned his surroundings for the best available piece of cover. Which he quickly found as he slid into position behind a pile of metal beams, and tried to sneak a look at whatever the rest fought back against. At first he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Only a ruined landscape quiet as the grave. But then something started its approach.. not directly in plain view, but moved underground like a thresher maw would... only a whole lot faster. Its position indicated by the vast amounts of dirt it kicked into the air.

With that information he got the gist of their situation, and whatever they fought as it frequently piercing the surface every few seconds with such ease it was almost as though swam. And every time it surfaced, something would fire at them – each time a massive barrage that peppered their cover, and nearly perforated Liara's. It was like they were beset by an armored platoon. Only with the last bullet did Saren manage to lean out and fire at the monster before it dived below ground again, again unscatched. "What the hell is that thing?!"

"We have no idea. But my gut feeling says that's the thing that shot us down!" Nihlus called back as he discharged a shot, and promptly ducked before a pair of high-caliber rounds passed right where his head used to be. "But... the better question is.. how do we deal with this thing!"

Saren paused as he turned his eyes to the building behind them, a storehouse from the looks of it. Quickly, he tossed a glare at Tali, "We should retreat for now. Quarian, open up this set of doors."

"Go, we'll cover you!" Garrus hastily added as he got up and fired again, aiming ahead of the advancing track of dirt in an attempt to suppress the enemy.

Tali glared back at Saren again and muttered very quietly that he should go and do it himself. But relented nonetheless, as she disengaged from her cover and dashed for the massive doors behind them, and for a moment tried to jerk it open, and when that proved ineffectual, placed a grenade against the lock withdrew to a safe distance before it went off, and nearly blew half the door off its hinges. "Got it!" she bellowed and hurried in.

The asari was more than eager to follow as she pulled back next, ducking her head along the way to reduce her own profile to their attacker. The turians came last, one by one until everyone had gotten themselves inside.

The adversary released a high-pitched metallic whine in response to their retreat, gave chase, and rushed the building like a torpedo.

Unfortunately, the storehouse was completely empty, with no cover available. They found another door however, the hallway beyond extending from the storehouse and to the main structure. With the creature coming in, the group quickly fled through it. Saren – self-chosen to be the last one in – shut the door before following the rest – with the hope that it would slow the thing down.

"Hopefully..." Liara panted along the way, their footsteps making a loud rapport against the floor of metal, "Hopefully it won't get through this floor.."

But as if to confirm that it was no great hindrance, bullets punctuated the walls behind, forcing them to quicken their pace.

"Sure it can't get through the door, b-but it's a moot point when it can simply shoot through the wall!" Nihlus groaned, desperate for a target he could actually shoot back at instead of this ghost-like underground threat. He wanted more than anyone else to stop and shoot out the windows, but his training kicked in just like it did with the rest.

This new room was filled with machinery meant for mass production of vehicles, according to the numerous rusty hulks that covered the long and broad remnants of the conveyor belt in the middle. The whole place was wrecked, not just from age.. but the amount of scarred wreckage plus the large hole in the roof explained that it had been bombed at some point. And no one had bothered to even try fixing it. On the other hand, this structure provided an enormous amount of cover. Almost to the point of forming an haphazard trench that ran throughout the room. And both the walls and floor appeared to be plated with generous layers of a type of alloy the team did not have the time to analyze.

A mighty crash could be heard behind them. With few ways in, their enemy had just decided to tear the sealed door open anyway – from which to charge at them once the hindrance is gone.

"Get into cover!" Saren bellowed while he and Nihlus slammed the door on their side shut to buy them some more time, "I want all guns directed at the door! If that bastard as much as pokes its face into here, I want it dead!"

They hurriedly spread out, and got behind anything that looked like it could withstand a great amount of punishment, and aimed their weapons at the door, which soon after bent inward like it was made from tin foil. The door twisted with a screech before it was thrown down, allowing the horror beyond to crawl in.

Garrus gaped at it momentarily before pulled the trigger, the whole team raining fire on the monster as it was finally caught in the open. "It just had to be a synthetic..." he drawled.

The machine wriggled with only the front-most part of its body sticking out of the corridor. It looked terrifying.. It was shaped much like a centipede. Its head heavily armored with ruby compound eyes, and gigantic pincers that clacked together. Its 'mouth' built like a grotesque meat grinder. Every segment of its body covered with two high-caliber guns. One at the top, and one at the bottom. All of them strangely primitive compared to the rest of it. Not that it helped them in any way.

They kept firing at the head, and yet all it did was to shake its head in annoyance. "Keep at it!" Saren shouted. The centipede however latched its legs against the walls and pulled itself steadily out of the corridor. Revealing more and more segments, with more gun turrets firing back at the organics that now began to fall back in desperation. The thing followed the wall, trying to use the sheer length of its body to box them in.

Garrus looked to where Saren tried to climb for a higher vantage point, only to be forced back down into cover as the withering volumes of fire directed at their positions intensified. "...Incredible... can't even get a single shot in."

But eventually, someone got barely enough elbowroom to get up to fling a grenade at the machine, striking and detonating the joint between two of its segments, cleanly breaking the thing in half. Much to the gratification of those who could see it.

But the machine itself released a deep-sounding alarm as it hefted itself, and leaned itself halfway across the room. Looming over the aliens as several of its limbs swiveled to aim at them. Garrus realized its intent too late as the limbs stretched at the speed of a bullet and punched cleanly through the front of his helmet, though without even touching his face. Exclamations coming from all around him indicated something similar happened to the others. A panicked shriek came from Tali as her visor was destroyed.

Garrus was mystified, if it could do this.. why not go all the way?!

But unfortunately, it showed the reason why as its head suddenly convulsed before launching some sort of canister that came apart the moment it hit the floor. From it, a sickly green mist blasted forth. Quickly engulfing most of the room.

"P-poison gas!" Liara gasped as she desperately tried to close the opening that had been carved open in her suit, allowing the mist to pass through. The asari coughed hard as her body tried to forcefully push away the poison before she collapsed.

He realized it in that instant as he fell onto his side, twitching almost uncontrollably as he fought back against the effect of the weapon it just deployed. The thing's a sadist. It wants to see ussuffer before we die.

A shadow fell over him as the machine loomed threateningly over him. The meat-grinder in its mockery of a mouth burst into motion while elongated metallic tentacles reached down to curl around the turian. He wondered quietly which would kill him first.. the grinder, or the poison? "... Fuck... you..." he groaned in defiance at the hideous machine, just in time to see a hole be suddenly blown open through its head.

The centipede-like machine was hurled away by the blast and released a near-ear-splitting shriek, dropping the turian, who struggled and invested all of his remaining strength to find out what in the world just managed to cause that kind of damage to it.

And as if fate wanted to make it easier for him, a figure landed almost right in front of him. A relatively short and cloaked figure, with a magnificent golden mane, and crystal-clear blue eyes with golden pupils. He noticed that there are several more around the room .. yet he couldn't tear his gaze away from the one standing between him and the centipede as it returned, as if in a complete frenzy, stretching itself into the air to make itself more imposing. All of its weapons focused on this one being.

The turian could not help but marvel at how the machine's able to remain functioning even with a hole placed cleanly through its head. Maybe the core is in some other segment.

But instead of going back into cover, the person with the golden mane leaped into the air with such force that the floor crumpled into itself, and so fast that the machine's guns barely managed to keep up with it. The being raised an arm out of the cloak and brandished an ornamented gauntlet, that suddenly shifted and transformed into a much larger set of curved claws – and raked the machine with it. The middle claw landing right in the middle of the centipede's ruined caricature of a face, and traveling down, cleaved the machine nearly all the way to the blown stump in the end. The two rough halves crashed promptly into the floor. But incredibly, one side still twitched as it struggled to remain functional... and only stopped once the being moved to the side and ripped a round object out of it.

Finally, weakened as he was by the pison, he fell to the floor, though the fall was broken when someone caught him gently. But see who it was, he could not. As he finally lost consciousness, he could hear one speak up in an alien tongue. With such a strangely angelic voice:

"Take them, and bring them to Pardonner.. We don't have much time."

Location: Northern dome; Hospital; Intensive care.

The room was deathly silent. Every sound made echoed and cascaded through the chamber like a thunder. Within, five beds had been prepared for the aliens that just arrived. Each and every one surrounded by machines that monitored their biological data without missing a thing. Dôji workers drifted quietly around the room, keeping an eye on the instruments and making sure everything moves along without disturbing the patients. Each of them looking terribly pale with the effects of the poison that wracked their bodies with a dedication that made it look like it had been infused with the kurozu's hatred of all life.

Pardonner watched over them solemnly as he moved around the beds. For now, he focused his attention on studying their bodies. Gathering biometry data. Mapping the extent of how much the plague had spread through the bodies of its victims. He overlooked nothing, no matter how trivial. One miscalculation and the treatment could prove hazardous to their health as well. One of the females appeared similar enough to humans, but he wouldn't take any chances.

He spared a glance up at Sophia, who sat in the observation deck. Watching intently. "Can they be saved?" the aspect of Wisdom asked.

Pardonner gave a nod, "Yes. We're in luck. The enemy in this case was an old model, as were the poison it was armed it. Given enough time, it could still kill them in more than one way – but I can deal with it before that comes to pass.."

Sophia exhaled in relief, "Good. Make sure they live."

"Don't worry." the aspect looked to those around him, making sure they're still at it before moving on.

The one who received most of attention though, was the alien female with the tight-fitting environmental suit that the dôji had trouble removing without damaging it. Pardonner still remained rather confused by how weak her immune system proved to be. By the time Sophia and the squad he set out with managed to bring the aliens back, this one was near-death. Only the hasty addition of his Noh to hyper-activate, direct and help the body's immune system identify and deal with threats kept her from dying outright.

Pardonner seriously thought about this fragility to the natural world. How it could come about, and so on. But without questioning her about it, theories about it would be just that... theories. Assumptions. Hypothesis. No use mentally bickering about it when one can instead simply ask. He brushed a claw carefully against the small block that rested against the left side of his neck. After having supplied the updated alien translator for the Mars mission, he decided on a whim to make another one in a bit of a hurry, hence it's much less refined.

His eyes gravitated towards her chest as she suddenly took a sharp breath, the instruments signaling heightened activity. She's waking up? Now?

It was with a bit of perturbation that he leaned over the body, watching closely as the weakened alien just barely managed to open her eyes. The female recoiled almost instantly as the nausea caused by the poison nearly overwhelmed her. The heart rate skyrocketed in an instant as she panicked. Deeply fearful from waking up to such a condition.. a few incoherent and deeply distraught cries erupting from her throat.

Pardonner reacted quickly even as the area around the bed rapidly became more crowded, those around him murmuring. He held out his able gauntlet above her chest. Using his Noh to beat down the plague's attempt at erecting clogs inside her airwavs. The gentle hum and warmth from its use helping in soothing the alien. And slowly, she relaxed. Much to his enormous relief. The rest watched in fascination, a few applauded.

Almost seconds away from falling asleep, she turned her eyes upon him with such pleading eyes.. He had to lean closer in order to hear what she was about to say; "A-am I going to die?" she managed to whimper just barely.

The aspect paused as he briefly thought about it until he finally flashed a smile, trying to keep it as gentle as possible, "No, you won't." the final bits of the analysis just couldn't finish quickly enough. "We'll get you through this.."

Apparently, it made her feel more at ease. The female slumped against the bed and continued to groan softly, slowly returning to the world of sleep.

"All of you, back to the other beds. They must survive." he told the surrounding mass of dôji to remind them of what they were supposed to do. Realizing this, they hurried back to work. Leaving Pardonner to continue his analysis. In just a few short minutes, the real treatment would commence.

By the time she opened her eyes again, it felt as though weeks had passed by. Feeling a great thirst accompanied by an aggressive growl coming from the pit of her gut. She chewed absently, as if trying to taste something that was conjured in the last fragment of her dreams. The disappointment palpable on its own once she realized that.

Tali looked up at the roof, and squeezed her eyes shut at the light. Coming from a long and thin stripe that ran across the ceiling from one end to another. And then felt the slight cold upon her skin despite the thick blanket that covered her body... slowly realizing something she did not notice last time she was awake.

Her environmental suit's missing! The only clothes composed of a garment that covered her from the shoulders and down past her knees. No more than that. The quarian felt a spike of panic before calming down at the sensation of... not being sick, despite how exposed she is. She felt the need to get up and find her suit anyway.. but couldn't.

"I... feel so... weak..." Tali groaned so softly that it sounded incoherent at any distance further than a couple of feet. But still, her attempt did manage to pull someone's attention.

"Quarian..." someone spoke up nearby. It was faint, but she knew who that voice belonged to right away, all the way down to the way she was addressed, "You're awake..."

Tali cursed quietly, "... Saren." managing to turn her head to see the neighboring bed. But couldn't see him still. Liara's bed appeared to be right between them. The asari still sleeping.

His bed creaked faintly as the turian struggled to get up, "We... need to get out... of here."

"Huh?"

"You've seen the creatures.." Saren growled.

"Creatures?" Tali asked slowly.. But the turian did not answer immediately as the door was pushed open, allowing entrance to one of the locals. A being of small stature, like a child, with unusually colored eyes, wearing a formal set of clothes. And curiously, what either meant they've got oversized hands... or they simply prefer to wear oversized gauntlets.

She briefly browsed through her memories across the few moments prior when she were just barely awake, and did not manage to recognize this one.

The being – who appeared to be male – seemed rather startled at the attention he got the moment he stepped in. Staring back at them for a moment until he finally seemed to remember what he came here to do, and moved accordingly, if rather stiffly.

He fetched the strange bowls that rested on the small tables between the beds and gathered them into a neat stack before he left and closed the door.

The silence lasted for another few seconds before Tali finally managed to find her words again, "Creatures?! Surely you can't mean them." she hissed, pointing at the door as if the alien still stood there on the other side, "They saved us, remember?"

"Don't be so quick to celebrate, quarian." Saren replied frostily, "I woke up just as we were being moved hereto. Saw many of the creatures quite heavily damaged: Missing limbs, gashes. One even missed most of its forehead, with one eye dangerously close to falling out. Yet no sign of blood. None of them bled. Neither could I see any sign of flesh or anything." he hissed, "And I don't know about you and the rest, but I was able to see as just one of them destroy the machine we had such a hard time fighting with just a couple of hits."

To be frank, Tali had no interest in listening to Saren's rambling and wanted to get away if it wasn't for the things he said. She suddenly got a sinking feeling, "W-what do you mean?"

"We now know the real reason why the natives were destroyed." Saren said in an official though croaking manner, "The enemy we fought earlier, and our supposed saviors. They're synthetics, all of them."