Bio Engineering

Surface of Binthu

In the vain hope of finding his inner balance again Udina looked to the sky. Binthu's small moon spent them a bit of light. He hung at the firmament like a silent watchdog, a giant space station guarding the planet. But there had been no signs of outposts on the moon. Even Binthu had no real populace apart from a small spaceport, more thought to be a waystation. The atmosphere of Binthu, carbon dioxide with some toxic chlorine and sulphur dioxide mixed in to make it even more unwelcoming, had averted any colonization. But this made Binthu an ideal location for someone who wanted to hide. Not many passersby, nearly none local authority and no police would interfere.

Shortly he rested his forehead against the metal in front of him. It didn't help in the last; he could still feel her stare in his back like a scorching knife. He had it really messed up. At least Tali was on the Normandy and had not experienced what he'd done. Udina clenched his fists. It had to be done, he knew. But that didn't help now.

The evening with Tali had been so beautiful. He even danced with her, something he hadn't done since Cathleen …

But then he left her room and on the way back a single picture destroyed the mood, left him stone-faced and eyes burning. It was the view of Shepard and Ashley standing in the open door of Shepard's cabin, kissing her possessively. He needed no imagination to realize what had happened before, only a look at the condition of her clothes and hair.

Ashley and Shepard always behaved professional when others were around but Udina only had to look at her to see again this picture, his hands on her small back, his lips on her neck. Not that he was able to scold her for her taste. Certainly he was kind of a woman's wet dreams come true. Large, broad shoulders, warm eyes and all these other positive features Shepard had. He was a marine thru and thru, something which paired much better with Ashley's view of life than someone like Rory. And Shepard would never do such things as …

A few hours ago they had followed a first lead. Shepard had got the information about an outpost from an employee at the spaceport and their two MAKOs had reached the abandoned station twenty miles south of the spaceport. Once there they had expected some kind of trouble but not that it was this kind of trap. They had been attacked by a Thresher Maw who had nearly succeeded in destroying Shepard's MAKO with her in it before Garrus could kill the Thresher with the board cannon.

The ambush had made him furious. Added with his bad mood from before and the simple need to get some real information this led to Udina being the one that interrogated their informant this time. It had been … unpleasant. Even Garrus had been uneasy as Udina used some of the painful methods he had learned. Their captive had been completely convinced that he would die if he did not cooperate. And Udina knew: yes, he would have killed him. The possibility of losing Ashley had frightened him. No, not losing because that he had already, but to see her die.

He had gotten the needed information this time but he could only see disgust in the faces of his companions. Only Jondum Bau understood, but that hardly was a surprise.

"We're nearing the destination. I have no signatures of any defense turret, only a few humanoid signatures and the dampened signature of an entrance to an underground complex."

Shepard's voice broke Udina from his dreams. A mile before they reached the hidden complex they stopped the MAKO and left Kaidan behind, while Shepard led the rest towards their enemies.

"Do you think he's still alive," Garrus asked Udina. The young officer shrugged, seemingly uninterested in the question.

"Don't expect him to do so. This message towards Dr. Michel was more a cry for help than anything else, perhaps even more a cry for revenge. But it is senseless to think about that now, we'll see in short time."

Hidden Complex – Binthu

Garrus fired two short bursts at their enemies before he ducked back behind the case he used for cover. Only split seconds later it shuddered with the response fire. From the left they could hear the amused chuckle of Wrex who was enjoying all of this.

Only humans, Udina shortly noted to himself. Mechs and humans, there are no asari biotics or Krogan mercenaries. He had a suspicion, an idea about the power behind their enemies. But it was too early to speak about that. Out, shot to a mechs head, back into cover before he exploded, his shreds tearing into the cases around Udina.

"I see a force field containing Thorian husks. There are scanners and medical equipment around," Ashley informed them from the room to the right.

"Seems were at the right place. First those Rachni workers, now Thorian husks. If you see any scientist, try to capture him alive," Shepard ordered. Until now there had only been military personnel and many of them. But someone had to use this equipment; they only needed to find them. Heavy steps pounded on the ground; some cases were shattered or shoved aside.

"Into cover, prepare for heavy mechs," Shepard warned them. Udina sighed. They were moments like this that caused him to admire him: able to wield any weapon, always knowing where the men and women under his command took position and 'feeling' their enemies, their plans. True marine officer material he was, even if he would leave the official rank behind in a few weeks. Not a lousy scientist as him, at most able to use some tech to support the fighters. With a growl he hold his position in the open and whirled his revolver around from left to right, down to up, each shot of his special ammunition tearing thru a shield and hitting a mech's head or a guard's breast. Five shots, five kills before Garrus angrily pulled him into cover, a heavy mech's missile exploding where he stood only a second before.

"If I have to explain Tali how you died, I'll come back and put a bullet thru your brain," he hissed without much logic but all the more passion. But Udina understood and without a smile only nodded. From then on he was more careful for the rest of the fight. And that was needed, because the shields of the two heavy mechs that entered the battle were way too powerful to be pierced by their weapons. They would have to concentrate on one to slowly tear a shield down and then …

Udina stopped Garrus with a hand gesture as the Turian moved to pull him away. His eyes went to a pile of T-beam, perhaps thought to be used in the construction of another room. "Shield me," he whispered, trusting Garrus to knock the two mechs and single human out that were flanking their larger brethren. Four steps … three … two … Udina's biotics gripped one of the beams. The heavy mech entered the gap between two large piles of cases and Udina hurled the beam at him, using it like a three-hundred pound version of a spear. The blunt tip was far too slow to be deflected by the shield and crushed into the broad breast of its target. The thick plate meant to shield the mech's reactor only held for a split second before it gave away and the beam tore thru it, pierced the breast and pushed the rear cover plate aside.

"COVER," Udina's voice penetrated the hall as he dove into cover himself. Two seconds later a heavy explosion rocked thru the room and those connected to him, whirling dozens of cases around and killing or injuring a handful of their enemies. Even his brother was pushed from its heavy feet and now it tried to stay up again. Shepard, Ashley and Wrex used the moment to get into position and took the second heavy mech out with concentrated fire.

After that it was only a question of time before the last guard was overcame and they found a room full of scientists … and Banes' body.

Conference Room – Normandy – on the way to the Armstrong Cluster

"We were able to take the scientists into custody. Some of them are willing to cooperate, Admiral. We'll deliver them and the bio-medical knowledge we found to alliance forces before we enter the Armstrong Cluster. The outpost itself we destroyed."

Rear Admiral Kahoku nodded, a smile showing his content about the outcome even if Banes' death was a small drop of sorrow in the cup of joy. "I'm pleased about your success, Spectre Shepard. I owe you. Be assured that I hold my end of our small arrangement. Dr. Michel's future on the Citadel should be worry-free."

"Thank you, Admiral. Shepard over and out."

He turned around to the other members of his crew. Ashley sighed: "So it had been Cerberus. With only humans running around at that facility we should have expected that. But I have no idea what their plan with those husks and Rachni could have been."

"Expendable shock troopers," Udina answered the question with a dire face.

Shepard agreed: "That could be possible. We'll have to see in the future and hold our eyes open for other signs of their activity. But now we have to prepare for the Geth."