A/N: OK, even allowing for the word count adding words for the break lines, this is a beast of a chapter, but chopping it in two doesn't feel right. And I have taken some liberties with the canon plot for the mission, but it seemed a waste of Tali and Liara's skills not to have them pitching in to figure out the puzzle...


Dr. Chakwas Goes to Town

"OK, enough mushy stuff. How about some action?"

Karin laughed. "I did warn you, did I not, that my point of view was somewhat light on action?"

"Yeah, but there has to have been some now and again, right?" Kowalski demanded.

"Oh, indeed. As it happens, on our very next mission, my worst fears about being dragged off the ship came to pass..."


"Shepard to Chakwas. Gear up, Doc, you're coming groundside. The colony's been hit pretty hard by the geth, and there are quite a few people in need of treatment. Bring Emerson with you - the site here is like a rabbit warren, and I'd like to set up an FOB further into the complex once we've established a perimeter. If someone gets hurt while we're down here, evac back down to the colony level might be too slow."

"Copy that, Commander," Karin acknowledged crisply, "we're prepping now."

"Thanks, Doc. You'll need full combat gear - I'm not taking any chances."

Karin sighed. "Understood. I'll report in when I'm groundside. Chakwas out." Getting to her feet, she undid her coat and dropped it on her chair. "Well, Hector, you heard the skipper. Prep the mobile trauma module, please, supplemented with rations and gear for an extended bivouac, then get yourself ready for ground operations."

"Will do, Doc," Emerson nodded. "I'll meet you in the cargo bay?"

"Yes, that'll be fine, thank you, Chief."

Karin took the time to check her field bag thoroughly, then made her way to the cargo deck. Chief Crosby was waiting at the armoury lockers, and snapped to as she approached. "Ma'am, since Chief Williams is ashore, I'll assist with your gear. Do you have an ordnance preference?"

"Whatever you think's appropriate, Chief, thank you." Karin opened her locker, and began to change. Since hardsuit drill was a compulsory safety check, getting into her armour didn't take too long, but even so, by the time she looked up, the armoury was suddenly much busier, with Emerson and Liara getting changed, and Tali standing by the weapons bench fussing with a shotgun. Liara flashed a quick smile, her motions eager as she shimmied into her leggings. "You got called down too?" Karin surmised.

"Yes. Feros was a Prothean world, and has a remarkably well-preserved series of sites in comparison to most other planets. I've wanted to visit for quite a few years, but the corporation that founded the colony does not grant permits." Liara's eyes were shining with anticipation as she zipped up her compression top. "Shepard wants me to investigate whether there might be a source of archived information here. If there is, that's likely what attracted Saren's attention."

Once they were all armed and armoured, Crosby called up Tucks, Dubyansky, and LaFlamme, and the marines led them out into the colony of Zhu's Hope, Emerson driving the mobile trauma buggy with his omni-tool. The colony didn't seem particularly well established, just a handful of prefabs and what appeared to be a downed freighter scattered haphazardly in a clearing amid the forest of crumbling Prothean skyscrapers. Liara, looking around in wide-eyed wonder, bumped into Karin several times as she walked, stammering an apology each time, but backsliding within seconds, like a child in a toy shop.

Lieutenant Alenko met them at the entrance to the freighter along with a worn-down looking man in civilian clothes. "This is Fai Dan," Kaidan introduced his companion. "He's the colony administrator. Sir, I'd like to introduce Dr. Chakwas, Dr. T'Soni, Chief Emerson, and Engineer Tali'Zorah."

"Pleased to meet you all," Fai Dan declared with a tired smile. "I'm grateful for any assistance you can render. We have severe problems with our water and power, and quite a few injuries from the geth attacks."

"Where can I find your doctor?" Karin enquired. "I'd like to confer with them, if possible."

Fai Dan looked pained. "That's part of the problem, Doctor Chakwas. I'm afraid I don't know where he is. He disappeared a few hours ago, down into the tunnels. I think the attack unhinged him. He was always nervous, but this situation is beyond what we ever imagined for our little home."

"Well, we'll find him, I'm sure," Karin asserted. "And meantime we can make a start if you can you show us to your infirmary?"

"LaFlamme, you and Tucks go with the doc," Alenko instructed. "Tali, Shepard asked if you'd mind helping out the colony engineers with the power and the water?"

"Sure, no problem," Tali agreed.

"Liara," Kaidan continued, "there's a data terminal in the main colony prefab with some records on surveys of the colony. Can you take a look, see if you can pinpoint anything of interest?"

The asari nodded. "Of course, I..."

"Shepard to Alenko." The commander's voice over the comm was urgent.

"Alenko, go."

"Secure the colony perimeter, Lieutenant. We've picked up geth activity underground - looks like they're using the tunnel network to get around. I don't want the colony getting jumped. We'll set demolition charges at a choke point here, then we'll sweep back and clean out any geth left this side of the blockage. Get everyone into a defensible position and bunker down till I give the all clear."

"Copy that, ma'am. Moving now. Alenko out." The lieutenant looked at Fai Dan. "Move your people into the freighter, please, sir - it's the most robust shelter we have. If your volunteers want to help secure the perimeter, they're welcome to. Doc, get yourself set up inside. Liara, Tali, you're going to have to wait a little to get to work. You can head back to the Normandy and wait if you prefer."

"I can help keep watch," Tali volunteered. "Being shot at by the geth isn't a new thing for me."

"I can assist too," Liara agreed. "I can create a barrier to provide cover."

"All right," Kaidan nodded, "but I'm assigning both of you to protect the doctor. Shepard'll have my ass if I let you take front-line positions. LaFlamme, Tucks, you'll secure the forward hatch, Dubyansky and I will secure the aft one. Alenko to Crosby."

"Reading you, elltee."

"Set a reinforced watch on the dock, Chief. Company might be inbound. And send Chang and Morales down here with their grenade launchers. I'd like a little more bang per buck available if the geth come calling."

"Wilco, sir."

"Thanks, Chief. Alenko out." Kaidan looked around the group, then clapped his hands together sharply. "OK, people, let's move!"

With Liara and Emerson assisting, it didn't take long for Karin to treat the casualties, and by the time she finished with the last colonist, Shepard had arrived with Garrus, Wrex, and Chief Williams. They rendezvoused in the medical bay, with Alenko and Fai Dan joining them. "OK, the situation is as follows," Shepard began. "We've pushed the geth back to their LZ in the next building over for now, and cut off the access to the colony via the tunnels, so it should be safe enough to begin emergency repairs." She looked over at Fai Dan. "If work in the tunnels is necessary, please consult with Lieutenant Alenko, and he will assign an escort. I'm pretty sure we got all the geth lurking down there, but I'd prefer you not take chances."

"Thank you, Commander," Fai Dan said gratefully. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go and consult with my people."

"I'll come with you," Tali offered. "The quicker I can take a look at the power and water systems, the quicker I'll know if I can be of any help."

"And if you could show me your central data terminal, I can begin gathering intel on the Prothean sites," Liara added.

"Of course," Fai Dan agreed. "Follow me, please."

"Stay in touch, you two," Shepard ordered. "Check in with Kaidan every fifteen minutes." As the two aliens left with the colonist, Shepard activated her omni-tool, bringing up a haptic 3D model of the immediate area. "OK, the geth are concentrated in the next building, which by some massive coincidence happens to be where ExoGeni's research facility is." She highlighted the bridge connecting the two buildings. "We had a little peek - there are armatures deployed along the length of the skyway, too many to safely tackle on foot, so we're going to have to deploy the Mako to clear them out."

Garrus and Williams exchanged apprehensive glances at this, but if Shepard noticed, she paid no mind. "I'll take Garrus, the Gunny, and Wrex up with me. Alenko, you'll remain in command here. Prep your team for deployment to a forward position as soon as you get my clearance. Anyone on escort duty at the time can head back to the ship, and you can draw replacements as needed. And if you were to run another sweep of the tunnels, I wouldn't be too unhappy."

Alenko nodded, clearly unhappy not to be on the fire team, but too well-disciplined to protest on personal grounds. "Yes, ma'am. I'll take care of it."

"Doc, are you prepped for a long deployment?" Shepard asked. "Once we deny the geth access to the skyway, we won't be back till we complete our objective. We might be camped out overnight."

"I am," Karin confirmed. "The module is prepared to support an FOB position for an extended deployment. And I brought my PJs."

Shepard smiled as she looked around the group. "Questions? Comments?" At the collective head shake, the commander gave a quick nod. "All right then. We're moving out. You have your orders people, let's get to it."

oOoOo

It didn't take the fire team too long to clear the skyway, and before three hours had elapsed Karin found herself wedged into a corner of one of the colony's half-tracks as it freighted the FOB team, including Tali and Liara, up to the slender tower that marked the halfway terminus of the skyway.

At the rendezvous, Karin was surprised to see they had company, a group of humans in lab coats escorted by soldiers in black, nondescript armour absent any ranks or affiliations. The soldiers in the mix looked nervous, fingers drumming on their rifles as they paced around the small alcove off the main stairwell where they were holed up. Shepard's team had casually blocked off the exit with the Mako, and as the support crew arrived the commander approached eagerly. "Ah, good, you're here." All business, Shepard pointed to the far corner of the stairwell, beside a public network access terminal. "We'll set up our FOB there. Chief, you can deploy your gear." Emerson nodded, and as he moved to obey, Alenko cast a curious glance down the ramp at the gaggle of refugees.

"Who are our new friends, Commander?"

"ExoGeni staffers, and some of their security team," Shepard supplied in a neutral tone. "Dr. Jeong seems to be in charge."

"Rat-faced little jerk is more concerned about lawsuits than the welfare of the colony," Williams interjected hotly.

"Settle down, Chief," Shepard chided insincerely. "Without assholes in the world, how would you know who the good guys are?" She flicked a glance over at the group. "For now, let them keep their corporate cloak-and-dagger routine going. If they're worrying about trivia, they're not panicking and causing us any real problems." Unfastening the seal on her helmet, Shepard pulled it off and shook her hair out with a sigh. "OK, beyond this weigh station, we have a rinse and repeat to clear the route to main HQ building. It's clear the geth are in there, but they don't appear to be digging in, so whatever they're here for, they don't seem to be setting up for a prolonged stay. Liara, what have you found out?"

Liara cleared her throat. "There was a surprising lack of recent information in the colony's databanks. Most of the non-archived files were heavily encrypted and thus not accessible. The colonists were reluctant to assist me in gaining access."

"You couldn't hack the files?" Garrus asked.

Liara frowned. "I didn't think to," she replied, looking faintly nonplussed.

"Could you?" Shepard asked. "If we needed you to, that is."

Liara considered it. "I think so. I might need Tali's help. But it would be illegal, would it not?"

"Not if Shepard orders you to under Spectre protocols," Garrus pointed out.

"We'll decide if it's necessary later," Shepard cut in. "Go on, Liara."

"The layout of the buildings is similar to a dozen or so other sites I've studied, so I believe I can make some assumptions. The area we are in is primarily a residential district. At the time of Prothean occupation, this planet was much colder, with much less available real estate to allow for expansion. Thus, the tendency to build upward and the multiple tiers of skyways supported by these weigh stations. Additionally, it explains the heavy vaulting in the tunnels where the aqueduct and power conduits run - climate conditions were severe enough to warrant strong protection from the elements for critical systems. The tunnels are the key infrastructure for the whole metropolis - I expect you would be able to navigate the entire urban area using them, provided you encountered no collapses."

"So ultimately the geth could use the tunnels find another route in behind us?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, I believe so."

"Makes the decision for us," Shepard noted. "We can't protect the colony indefinitely, so our only option is to try to drive the geth off. You said you thought this was a residential district?" At Liara's nod, she frowned. "Why would there be a beacon in a residential area?"

Liara shook her head. "There shouldn't be. Every beacon that's ever been found - including the one on Eden Prime, judging from the dig reports I've seen - has been set up in a central business district or similar, someplace where they would be easy to access and easy to find."

"Perhaps someone found it and moved it, like on Eden Prime," Williams suggested. "ExoGeni might have relocated it to their HQ."

"Perhaps," Liara agreed, "though there's no indication in what I could access that they found any Prothean tech at all." She tilted her head to one side thoughtfully. "The strange thing is, up until three months ago, almost all of the survey data ExoGeni had gathered was publically released – the archived data here correlates with a public extranet search I ran. Then, they suddenly began encrypting them, to almost military levels of classification."

"They found something valuable, and they don't want anyone to know until they can patent it," Karin suggested.

"Pretty standard behavior for a megacorp," Shepard agreed.

"But any significant Prothean discovery must be disclosed to the Council by law," Liara pointed out. "If this is a beacon, ExoGeni would be required to report it, or risk sanctions against the Alliance and the loss of their trading rights in Council space."

"Good point." Shepard huffed a short sigh. "This is getting us nowhere. We're going to have to go in there and see for ourselves what it is the geth are after. Meanwhile, Liara, try and hack into their data, if you can. You have my clearance to do so." She looked around the group. "I want to know what ExoGeni were up to with their research," she said softly. "Whatever they're dabbling in is what Saren's little army is here for, I'd bet, and they're too evasive for it to be entirely legit. See what you can dig up, as it were, while we clear the geth out."

"Will do, Commander," Liara acknowledged.

"We're also looking for a missing researcher and some critical data, but those are secondary priority. And I'm changing up the fire team a little. Alenko, Garrus, and Tali, you're with me."

"Oh joy, another ride in the Mako," Garrus groaned.

Shepard ignored him. "Gunny?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"You have command of this position." Shepard lowered her voice. "What's your read of Jeong, Williams?"

"Jumpy as a virgin at a prison rodeo, Skipper," Ashley replied promptly. At Liara's bewildered look, the Chief chuckled softly. "I'll explain it to you later, Blue."

Shepard bit back a laugh. "That's about what I figured, and his friends look like their trigger fingers are a mite twitchy. I'm leaving Wrex with you in the hope he encourages them to think long and hard about the value of their paychecks. Wrex, have a little fun, but don't provoke them, and what Williams says, goes, y'hear?"

"I hear you, Shepard," Wrex agreed.

"Gunny, Dr. Chakwas or Liara get so much as a scratch, and your ass will be my personal punchbag for a week, got it?"

"Aye aye," Williams acknowledged, twitching towards a salute.

"All right. Report in every ten minutes, rotating frequencies." Shepard flashed a quick smile. "Let's get this done."

"Good hunting, Skipper," Williams returned, and the commander moved off, Garrus, Tali, and Kaidan falling into step behind her.

oOoOo

Two hours ground past, filled with the tense, edgy anticipation that made Karin so detest shore duty. For all that much of military deployment was wait and hurry up, at least aboard ship there was always something with which she could occupy the time between missions, be it routine health checks, system diagnostics, updates and required reading or simple research into new procedures and treatments. But on active assignment to an FOB, when enemy contact could occur at any moment, such ancillary tasks were impossible if not downright foolhardy. So Karin checked and re-checked her equipment, paced the little stairwell, checked her messages on her omni-tool and willed the seconds away. Williams and the marines were standing sentry and couldn't be disturbed, and Wrex was amusing himself by staring menacingly down the ramp at the ExoGeni staff. Liara was engrossed in the data terminal, lost in her own little world as she worked to unlock the research facility's secrets.

When the interruption they were waiting for finally occurred, it came from an unexpected source. A young woman in a lab uniform trotted down the ramp from the upper level, raising her hands carefully as she saw Tucks and LaFlamme aim their weapons.

"That's close enough, ma'am," Williams ordered. "Who are you and where did you come from?"

"I'm Lizbeth Baynham. I work for ExoGeni," the woman replied. "Commander Shepard rescued me from the HQ building and said I should report back here to a Chief Williams?"

The gunny cocked her head to one side, and a storm of static filled Karin's ears. "Damn, sorry folks," Williams apologized as the entire team flinched at the sound. "Comms are down. I'm Chief Williams."

"The geth are jamming the communications out of HQ," Baynham explained. "The commander said to tell you they've cleared the skyway. And that I should say "Go Dolphins" to a Corporal LaFlamme?"

A chuckle rippled round the marines, and Williams signalled the all clear. "OK, ma'am, that's fine. You can wait with your colleagues down the ramp."

"Just let me check you over first," Karin offered as she noticed the woman's hesitation. "Make sure you're all right. You must have had quite a stressful day."

The woman offered a tired smile as she approached. "Thank you...?

"Dr. Chakwas, ships' medical officer."

Baynham lowered her voice. "I need your help, Doctor. I have some information for your colleagues. I think I know what the geth want, and Commander Shepard said I should talk to a Dr. Liara T'Soni about it."

Karin nodded. "Liara?"

The asari looked over, then left the terminal to join them. "This is Dr. T'Soni, one of our mission specialists," Chakwas introduced her.

"Lizbeth Baynham. A pleasure to meet you. What's your specialization, Doctor?"

"Prothean archaeology," Liara replied.

Baynham sighed. "Then you must already have some idea of what I want to tell you."

"That what your company is hiding isn't Prothean technology?" Liara offered with a nod. "Yes, that was my suspicion. But what I can't figure out is what you are here for."

"Shepard asked me to explain to you." Baynham shot a nervous glance over her shoulder. "But I don't want Jeong to know, so I can't do it directly. It'd take too long. Here." She walked over to the terminal and punched in a few commands. "Full access to our data network. Look up species thirty seven." She cast an anxious glance down at the ExoGeni team. "Everything you need to know is there. And you don't have a lot of time. If Commander Shepard removes the geth threat, there's no telling how the colonists might react." With that, she hurried off to join her colleagues.

Liara exchanged a confused glance with Karin, then shrugged, and returned to the terminal. She read in silence for a few minutes, and as Karin watched, a deep frown began to etch itself into the researcher's features. Curiosity piqued, Karin moved over to join her. "What were they up to?"

Liara shook her head. "There's an ancient, sentient life form living beneath the colony. It… oh Goddess…" Liara activated her omni-tool, but before she could do anything, the building shook with a distant impact, and the comm channel chirped.

"Shepard to FOB."

"Go ahead, ma'am," Williams responded immediately. "Nice to hear from you - the comm blackout was getting a little long."

"Yeah, sorry about that, the geth were jamming us. We've taken care of them, though."

"So we noticed," the Chief chuckled. "We heard the bang all the way over here."

"We've run a sweep of the area – whatever the geth were here for is not, repeat not in this building. There's no Prothean tech here at all."

"Commander, ExoGeni weren't studying Prothean tech," Liara broke in urgently. "There's an ancient…"

"Commander Shepard, come in!" A gruff male voice broke in, the tone surprised and angry.

"Crosby, is that you? Report!" Shepard snapped.

"Ma'am, the colonists just threw us out!" Crosby reported. "Drove us back to the Normandy at gunpoint with no explanation. When we tried to reason with them, they opened fire on us!"

"Is the dock secure?"

"Yes, ma'am, for now, but I can't say for how long that'll be true."

"OK. Get your team back aboard, Chief, double-time. Shepard to Pressly."

"Ma'am?"

"As soon as Crosby's team clears decon, ready the ship and undock. If this op is about to go tits-up, I want options for extraction that don't involve forcing our way at gunpoint through a colony of civilians."

"Copy that, ma'am. I'll get you those options."

"Look after my boat, mister."

"Aye aye. Pressly out."

"Williams, hold position. We'll rendezvous with you asap."

"Copy. Williams out." The gunny cut the channel with an apologetic look at Liara. "Sorry, Liara – you're probably better off waiting to brief Shepard in person."

Liara nodded. "As you say, Chief."

"Wrex, Tucks, with me," Williams ordered. "Let's do a little circuit and remind everyone we're here. Everyone else, keep your eyes skinned."

Karin moved to Liara' side. "What have you found?"

"There's a telepathic life-form living under Zhu's Hope," Liara explained. "It's like nothing I can remember hearing about or reading about, a plant-based sentience of extreme age. It's connected to the colonists, via spores in the atmosphere that link them to its neural network." Her worried frown deepened. "It controls its thralls via its neural connection, using pain to force them to enact its will."

"So the attack on the Normandy was directed by this..." Karin leaned over to read the terminal screen, "Thorian?"

"It would appear so," Liara replied. "ExoGeni have been monitoring the process of the... I suppose you would call it indoctrination... of the colonists, studying its effects."

"They knew and they did nothing to prevent it?" Karin gasped.

"They didn't know initially. A survey team discovered the Thorian three months ago."

"And that's when the records were sealed."

"And they have been observing the development of the Thoria's influence ever since." Liara sounded sickened. "They're using those people as test subjects."

Karin pursed her lips in disapproval. "They must have been hoping to isolate the control mechanism. Tech that can control minds would be worth trillions to the military."

A commotion at the top of the stairwell forestalled further comment from Liara as the Mako roared to a halt. Shepard and her team climbed out and jogged down to meet them. "Any word from the colony?" she asked.

"No, ma'am," Williams responded. "Even though the comms are back up, there's no chatter."

"Pressly has the Normandy holding station at the next clearing over," Shepard reported. "If need be we can extract from the skyway, but I want to know what the hell is going on with the colony. I'm still none the wiser as to what the geth are even doing here."

"Shepard," Tali piped up, "I've intercepted an incoming transmission. It's encrypted, but it's from ExoGeni's head office."

"Can you crack it?"

"I should be able to, just a second... keelah!" The quarian's voice jumped an octave in shock. "Shepard," she whispered, glancing down the ramp, "it's an order to Jeong. He's to purge the colony, remove all evidence of whatever experiments were being performed."

"We'll want to put a stop to that, then," Shepard noted, anger sparking in her gaze. "I'm getting to the bottom of this entire clusterfuck right now. Dr. Baynham, would you join us, please?" she hollered down the ramp. After a moment, the young researcher walked up to join them with an older woman in tow.

"I brought my mother, I hope that's OK," Lizbeth explained, looking back uneasily. "Jeong's suspicious enough of me already. I don't want him using her as a hostage against me."

"Lizbeth, what's going on?" the older woman demanded.

"That's a great question," Shepard drawled acerbically.

"I'd let Liara explain, actually, Shepard," Karin chipped in. "She's made some interesting discoveries."

Shepard turned to the asari. "OK, Liara, hit me."

Liara raised her eyebrow markings in confusion. "Why would I... oh Goddess, yes, I see." Clearing her throat, she began again. "Three months ago, ExoGeni discovered the existence of an ancient sentient species, a plant-based life-form, directly beneath the settlement at Zhu's Hope."

"That much I gathered," Shepard said dryly, her gaze boring into the younger Baynham, who flushed red.

"The creature, referred to as the Thorian," Liara continued, "possesses mind control capabilities, releasing spores into the atmosphere which form a neural connection between the Thorian and other life forms when inhaled."

"So it's telepathic, and you get hooked to it just by breathing?" Shepard summed up. A ripple of unease flowed through the asari's audience as she nodded confirmation.

"Exactly. It has infected the entire colony at Zhu's Hope, and it controls their actions through pain conditioning."

Shepard's face set into a grim frown as she listened to Liara's explanation. "So the colonists attacked the Normandy at this thing's instigation? Why?"

"With the geth now gone, I can only surmise it considers our presence to be a threat. It would no doubt prefer to remain undisturbed," Liara frowned at the Baynhams, "not unlike the ExoGeni team, I imagine. But now that we are aware of its existence, it is taking more concrete steps to defend itself."

"But how could it even know that we know?" Shepard protested.

"It has a sensory network comprising kilometres of tendrils embedded throughout the ruins," Lizbeth broke in. "We're not sure just how much data it picks up, but it's a substantial system, and it's not impossible that it has someone monitoring all comms. Best to assume Dr. T'Soni is correct."

"The colonists are already reacting to our presence as though we are a threat, as evidenced by the assault on the Normandy," Liara pointed out.

"And the longer we wait, the more time they have to dig in and the more likely we end up hurting some of them." Shepard muttered what sounded like a curse under her breath. "OK, but I still don't get what this has to do with the geth." She favoured Lizbeth with a pointed stare. "What makes you think the geth were here to find it? Leaving aside for now the question of why you did nothing to help those people."

Lizbeth flushed more deeply with shame. "It's the only thing of significant value on this whole planet so far as we know, so I just assumed it was what the geth were here for. And when I found out what was happening, I wanted to help, but if I'd spoken up, they'd turned me into a zombie like the colonists." She dropped Shepard's gaze. "I have to live with that, I know, but believe me, I don't know why the geth would even care. They're machines - they can't interface with it."

"I have a theory," Liara volunteered.

"Great," Shepard said eagerly. "Let's hear it."

"By ExoGeni's calculations, the Thorian is many tens of thousands of years old - it has a very long hibernation cycle that massively expands its lifespan." Liara cocked her head. "Since it is a plant, it is sedentary, and has likely remained in situ for its entire life. So it would have been here when the Protheans walked this world."

"So you think it knows something about the Protheans that Saren needs?"

"It's likely. It will certainly know what happened to the Protheans that lived here. It could corroborate our theory, or perhaps provide context for the images from the Eden Prime beacon."

"Liara, you're a genius, y'know?" Shepard grinned at the asari, but she quickly sobered as she buckled back down to problem solving. "OK, I guess we're going to pay the Thorian a visit. Anyone have any suggestions that don't involve killing the colonists to reach it?"

"You could use a nerve agent to neutralize the colonists safely," Juliana Baynham offered.

"Like a gas grenade," her daughter cut in.

"Releasing clouds of nerve agent doesn't seem like a particularly good idea," Shepard said dubiously.

"It's not like it's weapons-grade," Juliana protested. "The insecticide we use in the gro-labs contains trace amounts of tetraclopine."

Shepard looked at Chakwas appealingly. "Layman's terms?"

Karin smiled. "It's a neuromuscular degenerator."

"Fuck layman's terms, do you speak English?" Williams groused, and Karin laughed.

"In very small doses, Chief, it can act as a paralyzing agent, particularly on a weakened nervous system. Do you have the concentration information, Doctor?"

Baynham called up the specs, and Karin checked the dose, and nodded. "Yes, that should offer you an option to minimize casualties, Commander. You can use ampoules of the insecticide as a grenade mod. Dispersing the nerve agent in aerosol form should allow several colonists to be neutralized with one delivery."

"I can field-mod the grenades," Williams offered. "It's dodgy, but it just might work."

"Safer just to shoot 'em," Wrex grumbled. "If Jeong's going to order a purge of the colony anyway it might be kinder."

"Not on my watch, he isn't," Shepard declared assertively. "All right. Doc, can you and Williams rig some grenades with Dr. Baynham's assistance? Wrex, Liara, with me. We're going to have a little chat with Dr. Jeong. Alenko, keep your team on their toes."

As Karin and the gunny worked on modifying the explosives, the conversation between Shepard and Jeong became steadily more agitated, until finally, the red-faced ExoGeni exec pulled a sidearm and aimed it at the commander at point-blank range. "I knew it was too much to hope the geth had killed you!" he shrieked.

Several things happened at once.

Juliana Baynham screamed.

Alenko and his squad leveled weapons at the security guards.

Liara's biotics lit up, snapping a protective barrier around Shepard.

And Jeong fired his weapon.

The round ricocheted off Liara's barrier, and before anyone else could react Shepard stepped in and snapped a punch to Jeong's chin that knocked him cold. Even as he folded to the concrete floor Shepard continued her motion, pulling her sidearm and training it on the leader of the security team. "We gonna do this?" she asked in an icy voice amid the whine of weapons priming as her marines prepared for combat.

The man shook his head quickly, raising his hands and taking a step back. "Hell, no. I got no orders to start a shooting war with the Alliance."

"Smart move." Shepard re-holstered her pistol. "Lieutenant Alenko?"

"Ma'am?"

"Stand down. These folks will relinquish their weapons and be remanded into custody of your team. Dr. Jeong can receive treatment but I want him kept sedated."

"Aye aye."

"Dr. Baynham… senior."

"Yes, Commander?"

"Acknowledge ExoGeni's orders and download the communications to an OSD, then give that copy to Lieutenant Alenko. I'm going to have a little chat with your supervisors once I'm done." She looked over at Lizbeth. "Anything else about the Thorian you want to tell me before I go down there?"

"Nothing I can think of. But I can contact you on comms if something occurs to me."

"All right. You'll work with Liara to make sure we have a complete record of what happened here, and the Thorian's relevance to Saren and the Reapers." Shepard turned to Liara. "Thank you, Liara. But for your quick thinking, that would have been nasty. You likely just saved my life."

Liara blushed. "You are welcome, Shepard. It is nothing you haven't done for me, after all."

Shepard grinned. "True. I still appreciate it, though. Getting shot would have ruined my day. Can you make sure we get as much intel as possible?"

"Yes, of course. One thing, though, if I may?"

"You've earned quite a substantial indulgence, Liara. Ask away."

"It's clear the geth were sent here to prevent you from following Saren's trail. He may well have taken further precautions to deny you access to whatever forgotten knowledge the Thorian holds."

Shepard's grin softened into a wry smile as she reached out to squeeze the asari's shoulder. "We'll be careful Liara, I promise." She looked around. "Garrus, Ash – you have full breather helmets, right?" At their acknowledging nods, she gestured to the Mako. "OK, you two are with me. Let's go see what this thing knows. LT, you have command here."

"Aye aye, ma'am," Alenko nodded.

Karin passed the commander the pack containing the modified grenades. "Good luck, Commander."

"Thanks, Doc." Shepard took the ordnance and trotted off to the Mako.

Juliana Baynham looked at Jeong's prone form. "When ExoGeni find out about this – if they can't purge the colony they'll shut it down. The colonists will lose everything."

"I would not concern yourself with that overmuch," Liara offered. "The commander has concrete evidence that ExoGeni have been conducting illegal experiments on human subjects without consent or approval, and that once their complicity was revealed they ordered the execution of the colonists. I would think there will be plenty of scope for negotiation."

"Do you think she can save the colonists?"

"I believe she'll do everything with her power to try," Karin stated as she signalled Emerson to treat and sedate the unconscious company man, and Liara nodded emphatically.

"Yeah," Wrex agreed, "Stupid human, always doing things the hard way." Nonetheless, there was a note of approval in his grumble.

They settled in to wait one final time, Tali and Liara chatting as they worked with the Baynhams on compiling the evidence. Liara talked animatedly as she worked, answering questions about the Protheans and asari culture, whiling away the hours until Shepard was suddenly back on the comms.

"Shepard to Alenko."

"Reading you, ma'am."

"The Thorian's dead." Shepard sounded exhausted. "The colonists we were able to save shouldn't be in any further danger."

"Casualties, ma'am?"

"Fai Dan and Alicia Martinez, but we managed to neutralize everyone else. I've ordered the Normandy back to dock. I want the ExoGeni team moved back down to the colony. Chief Crosby's platoon will rendezvous with you there."

"Understood, ma'am. We'll pack out our trash and get moving."

"Thanks, Kaidan. Is Liara there?"

"Commander, I read you," Liara responded. "How can I help?"

"We've encountered an asari down here, an acolyte of your mother's. Her name is Shiala. I thought I recognized the name."

"Goddess!" Liara exclaimed. "Yes. Shiala is my mother's personal bodyguard, the captain of her commando detail. Is she..." the asari's voice trembled, "is she all right?"

"She's a little roughed up - she's been under the influence of the Thorian for a while, but she's not hostile. I'm sending Garrus up to get you - I'd like you to talk to her with me, if you're willing. A friendly face might persuade her to open up."

"Of course," Liara agreed immediately.

"You don't have to, it's strictly voluntary," Shepard reiterated gently.

"I understand, Shepard. It's all right. I want to talk to her. She might be able to tell me more about what has happened to my... to my mother."

"OK, Liara, thanks. Wait for Garrus. I'm pretty sure the colonists aren't a threat any longer, but I don't want you taking unnecessary risks."

"I will."

"See you shortly. Shepard out."

Liara looked over at Karin, and for a moment, the asari looked very young and afraid. Karin did her best to offer a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Liara. The Commander won't let you get hurt."

Liara sighed quietly. "I don't think Shepard can protect me from the truth, can she?" Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath. "If you don't mind, I will wait for Garrus by the stairs, Kaidan. I would appreciate a little solitude to gather my thoughts."

Kaidan nodded. "Sure, Liara. Just don't wander." He signaled Morales to discreetly shadow the asari, and as Karin began to pack up, she ached with sympathy for a young woman who suddenly had the weight of the world resting on her slender shoulders.