Botany

ExoGeni Enclave – Feros

„You have no right to enter the labs. They are property of ExoGeni and …" Ethan Jeong's rambling was grinding on Shepard's nerves and the commander being the man he was this was no good plan of the administrator to stay healthy and alive. Without forewarning he drew his sword and pressed the pointy tip at his throat. "Simply shut up," Shepard growled and left it to Garrus and Wrex to convince the guards to lower their weapons again. Certainly the gladius was not the weapon of choice in most situations but it had its merits and sometimes the cold metal did wonders, its barbaric shape calling something from enemies no simple gun ever could.

"Mrs. Baynham asked me to look for her daughter and even if I hadn't been inclined to go into the tower I would now. I'm not interested in any sobbing secrets of your corporation. I only want to stop the Geth so that I may go on with my search. If you have nothing interesting to say, then go away and let the adults speak alone."

Wrex smiled broadly as Jeong left like a kicked puppy and even forgot to begrudge that none of the guards wanted to fight with him. "Alright, Mrs. Baynham, we'll look for her. But if we don't come back in the next hours you should leave with your people and try to reach Zhu's Hope. Most Geth on the way should be destroyed now and the colonists surely would appreciate any help."

Juliana Baynham sighed with much relief. "We would have gone hours before if not Jeong had declared that all colonists were dead and the Geth on the way. I'll wait three hours for any information of you; then we'll leave."

Shepard went back to the MAKO where Kaidan just finished his checkup. "The MAKO is alright. The rockets didn't much damage and the sensors are ready again."

There had been some fights on the way following the aqueduct, smaller Geth and even some armatures with anti-vehicle weapons. But luckily with Kaidan and Garrus he had very competent men around. "Good, we'll drive in 5. It is not so far now. When we reach the tower we'll have to find a way to stop the Geth, perhaps somehow to remove that drop ship that's clinging there. We'll have to see. And now we know that at least one scientist is still there. Dr. Baynham had contact with her daughter an hour ago. She is somewhere in the tower's cellar now. We'll look for her first. She could be of use with her local knowledge."

Zhu's Hope – Feros

"Don't make such a face. It was the best way to destroy them without damaging the pipes." Since they had reached the colony again Udina had tried to soothe Ashley.

"I know that. But you could have asked. I didn't demand to waive your biotics out of fun. Dr. Chakwas will be furious if she …" Gently Udina gripped her arm. "Then simply don't tell her. She doesn't need to know. I've done it and it helped. And I'm still fine."

Ashley didn't give in and scolded him: "It is that easy for you, yes? Do something and don't stand to it afterwards. Perhaps you've been right about being only a spoiled man. Certainly your dealing with your uncle and other politicians rubbed off on you."

The face of Udina went from an unhappy smile over a hint of pondering regret to an expression of simple rage as he followed her words. Ashley felt herself gripped by the collar and biotically pushed against the wall, causing an anxious squeak from Tali, the Quarian following the conversation silently so far. Trembling with rage Udina stepped near Ashley, his face almost touching hers. "Do not compare me with my uncle. Don't … ever … do … that … again."

ExoGeni Tower – Feros

"Lyzbeth? We're no Geth, we're friends. Your mother sent us." Shepard forced Wrex to lower his shotgun. As planned they had reached the tower and instantly went for the cellar, destroying the surprising small number of Geth on their way. Almost immediately after entering the large cellar complex, someone had been shooting at them, luckily without any skill and only hitting the walls.

Hesitantly now a young woman left her cover, the gun in her hand wavering. "You know my m … mother? I'm so sorry that I …" Her waving with the gun did nothing to soothe Wrex but quickly she stored it away. "I was so stupid. I didn't leave quickly enough and then there were Geth all around."

"You're secure now. But we need your help. We have to go into the tower and stop them. But we can't pass the entrance. There is a kind of force field."

"Yes, I've seen that. It seems to be powered by the ship clinging to the tower. But you … we … should be able to enter thru the entry over there. I tried to leave that way but there were Geth too. At least I have seen no energy field."

"Good, we'll give it a try. Stay back with Kaidan and don't draw your gun." Lyzbeth hastily nodded and went to Kaidan, almost gripping his arm before she tried hard to assume a controlled outlook.

Zhu's Hope – Feros

"Sorry, Rory, I shouldn't have been such an ass." Ashley had been looking for a while to find Udina and now here they were on a balcony overlooking the colony. He stayed silent, only responding as Ashley turned to walk away.

"I shouldn't have reacted like I did. You're right, sometimes I try to make it easy, to forget what I've done and what the consequences had been. Other times you have to do that or lose your sanity. Since seven years Uncle Donnel had been my guardian. He is administering my wealth and had been selecting my schools. I'm in the navy because of him. And because of that all people expect me to be the same he is, to share his opinions, to be his ear and mouth all the time. No one believes that I reached my position thru talent but that he supported me in my career."

"I don't think that way. And Adams and Pressly do it neither. I've spoken with them about your studies at the MIT and they were duly impressed by your thesis. I've to admit that I didn't understand a single sentence as I looked into that file but if they both say …"

Udina smiled at her. "You're really not fully stretched with your work, yes? That you've time to look into …"

The reverberation of a rifle shot interrupted them. Shocked Ashley and Udina looked down to the colony only to see Jenkins running after Tali thru the alleys between the containers. He had his gun lifted and shot at her back while he ran. Tali made a wild dipsy-doodle between covers and hurried towards the exit of the colony.

"What the hell," Ashley shortly wondered before she hurried down the stairs. Udina simply jumped down, stopping his fall with his biotics, before he followed Tali and Jenkins. A number of colonists stepped in, some of them armed. Unsecure what to think of the situation Udina decided against shooting them and only forced them away with biotic pushes.

As he rounded the next corner he saw Tali struggling with one of the colony guards. Jenkins stopped and targeted her. A biotic pull and the rifled left his hand and flew towards Udina or so he thought at least because Jenkins didn't let the weapon go but was drawn with the weapon towards his officer. Stunned by the sight Udina stopped the pull and watched Jenkins standing up and turning to Tali as if nothing had happened. Then Ashley appeared between the containers, running straight towards Jenkins and hitting him with her gunstock at the jaw. She had to repeat the strike two times before the soldier went down.

Hastily they retreated with Tali forced to leave Jenkins behind as more of the colonists appeared. What could have happened?

ExoGeni Enclave – Feros

"Commander Shepard? Here's Udina speaking. We have a problem in the colony. The colonists are acting very strangely. And Jenkins … he attacked Tali, tried to shoot her. We've retreated to the Normandy but have to leave him behind. All others are well. The colonists are besieging us but have not weapon able to breach the hull."

"Udina, here's Shepard. We're on the way back. We've solved the Geth problem but already heard about your little problem. It seems that ExoGeni made some experiments with the colonists. It is a kind of mind controlling spore from a plant they shelter below the colony. We have to try to knock the colonists out without killing them. Prepare some stun and daze grenades. We'll try to reach the Normandy."

Looking ahead Shepard whispered to the rest of the vehicle's crew. "I hope we'll get thru the colony without a fight. If we're attacked try to shoot at the legs and Wrex knocks them out. We'll save the few stun grenades we have for larger groups."

"What about the grenades we've got from Dr. Baynham," Kaidan asked.

"I would like to not use them. She was unsure about the side effects. These colonists should be full of the Thorian's spores now. Perhaps the grenades would kill them."

"We should have realized from the start that they acted a bit strange," Garrus stated.

Shepard only shrugged. "We could have but we didn't. They seemed a bit confused, yes, but that was hardly a surprise with Geth running rampant all around. It is too late now for that. Let's simply try to reach the Normandy."

Below Zhu's Hope – Feros

"I'm the voice of the old sprout. You're unwelcome here. Humanoids can't be trusted. We dealt with one of your kind and he betrayed us. Only controlled humanoids are allowed to live. Your life is short but it has already been too long."

Garrus sighed. They had been able to reach the Normandy with only one colonist dead. One of Wrex blows had killed him, instead of knocking him out breaking his neck. The grenades from the ship had allowed them to overwhelm the rest of the colony but afterwards it had gone only worse. A kind of plant humanoids, caricatures of the human colonists, attacked them on every step. Nearly immune against normal weapons they had to use shotguns, incendiary ammunition and brute force. Shepard's sword had been especially efficient, the commander more than once decapitating his enemies.

And then they reached the Thorian. He was huge, really huge. No one thought it possible to kill the Thorian with simple guns. But as they pondered about a better way, something slipped out of the plant. It seemed to be an Asari and Liara gasped as she recognized Shiala. But it wasn't her, not really, but a copy, a body to use and speak thru.

"Understand, so no deal with you," Shepard responded almost friendly before he lifted his shotgun and tore the 'Asari' apart with a headshot. "Let's go and find the weak spots of this thing. He has to have some or this will be an awful work of chopping."

Normandy – Infirmary – on the way to the Citadel

"How is she," Shepard asked Liara as she turned around. Since they arrived at the Normandy with the rescued Asari she had been caring for her together with Dr. Chakwas.

"We'll hold her sedated for another few hours at least. Her mind is recovering. I've melded with her and she is on her way back to mental sanity. I'll repeat the process in a few hours. Thank you for rescuing her."

"You're welcome," Shepard responded. "But you seem to be troubled. Is it something about her or your mother?"

"Yes … I've seen some disturbing things in her mind. But please wait until she awakens. I don't want to … irritate you with false news."

Shepard stared at her intensely before he slowly nodded. "Good, I'll wait, but not for too long."