The squad kept their weapons out, moving up a ramp, and into Administration. The four entered a decontamination chamber, a grid of light passing through them. The wall disappeared, and a door into the main lobby opened. The squad stepped cautiously into the expansive room.

"Stay sharp," said Shepard. A grate flew off a wall, causing the team to turn to it.

"Keelah, why did it-"

A large, four-legged insect popped out of the vent, and onto Tali. It's two tentacles began tearing at her suit's cloth. Wrex shot it off her, without missing a beat.

"What the hell was that?" asked Shepard, while helping Tali up.

"You expect me to know?"

"Just wondering. You never know who knows what."

"Was that a thinly veiled insult Shepard?"

"Was that, Vakarian?"

"I know what it is," said Wrex. The crew's heads turned. "A Rachni. Tried to wipe out all civilization, thousands of years ago. I thought they were extinct."

"They were," said Garrus. "Could they have found a DNA sample? Cloned them?"

"Heh, cloning. That'll be the day."

"One way to find out."

The team moved forwards, gunning down two more Rachni on the stairs.

"You'll forgive me if I don't want to touch them," said Tali.

"Don't expect me to. Vakarian?"

"I… well… I could be allergic."

Wrex grabbed both Rachni by the necks, tossing them aside.

"Lazy pyjaks."

The squad moved up the stairs, making their way to the core.

The group reached a rectangular room, with three doors, left, right, and center. Rachni popped out from the vents. Wrex blasted two at once, Tali got rid of two more, while Garrus and Shepard took down four on the left, all with ease.

"Were these really the terror of the galaxy?"

"Tell me you haven't made advancements in weapons in the past two-thousand years."

"Good point."

Shepard and Tali walked towards the main core, while Garrus and Wrex stayed behind in case more rachni appeared.

"Tali, if you would?"

"Me?"

"You're the master hacker."

"Right, forgot about that."

Tali stepped onto the elevator's pad, lowering into the core.

"Wait, how do you forget your main skill?"

"Not easily. Might be the fact that an extinct species jumped onto my face you bosh'tet!"

"That sounds like an insult."

"You're very perceptive. Done."

"That fast?"

"Master hacker, remember?"

Shepard swore he saw the outline of a sly grin beneath Tali's mask. A holographic VI appeared in the center of the core.

"It looks like you're trying to restore this facility. Do you need some help?"

"A pop-up," complained Shepard. "Of course it's a pop-up."

"Don't look at me, I just turned it on."

"This system is monitored to respond to the name 'Mira'. May I ask your name?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"To determine the data access available to you."

"Uh… I'm Kaiden Alenko. A Spectre."

"One moment please. Council access confirmed. You are entitled to Secure Access of all systems. You may access me at any holographic interface within Peak 15."

"I need to find Matriarch Benezia."

"Matriarch Benezia has taken the tramway to the Rift Station subsidiary labs. The tramway system is currently inoperable."

"Okay, how do I fix it?"

"Repair the damage to both the reactor and landlines."

"Alright, that's it."

"Logging off."

Shepard flashed a grin, clapping his hands together.

"So, who's the master hacker now?"

Shepard and Garrus stepped off the elevator, Tali and Wrex opting to cover them. A human squad was standing before them, weapons drawn. The front two fired on the squad they had come across, not taking a single bullet. The four put away their weapons.

"You think they were working for Saren?"

"If they weren't, they were cloning Rachni. Either way Vakarian, bad people."

"Let's hope you're right Shepard."

"I am. Trust me."

The door leading into Rift Station's main area slid open, revealing a group of human and Asari soldiers.

"Vakarian, cover!"

Wrex came in blasting, while Shepard sprayed bullets, removing two Asari from the brought down a human woman, and Garrus effectively disabled an Asari and human, before putting twin bullets in their heads.

"Then there's more?"

"There always is Shepard."

"Thanks for the positivity."

"No problem," said Wrex, without a touch of humor.

The four allies brought down the last of the doctors and commandos.

"Did we have to kill the doctors too?"

"Agreed," said Tali. "It seems heartless to kill innocents."

"Innocents!?" bellowed Wrex. "These innocents were trying to revive a force that very nearly destroyed the galaxy!"

"I have to side with Wrex. Can't blame a man for shooting megalomaniacs."

"But they had family. Lives."

"So do we Vakarian. Didn't stop them from shooting."

Garrus looked down at the bodies, before moving on with the crew.