Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect multicrossover. I want to say thank you for all the support you've shown for this crossover. I deeply appreciate it, and I hope you stick with me all the way to the end. Next chapter, we'll be seeing the other side of the investigation. For those who've wanted to see the Halo 4 story arc of this crossover, you're in luck. It's coming up next chapter. As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo, MechWarrior/BattleTech or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Electronic Arts, BioWare, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs and Piranha Games Inc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
Feros
Zhu's Hope
January 21st, 3081
Standing at the rendezvous point, Shepard calmly waited for Wrex and the others to return, with Tali standing at the entrance to the rest of the structure they were in, weapon in hand in anticipation of any incoming hostiles. Once he'd completed his objectives, he had retreated to where Fai Dan and the others were at, with the entrance to the colony outpost being the rendezvous point. Right now, he was waiting for Legion and Wrex to return, so that they could continue with the rest of the mission. Having recently talked with Fai Dan, he now knew that the Heretic Geth, Tarak's clones, and members of the Storm Covenant were located in a Prothean skyscraper that connected to a central one before reaching Zhu's Hope via skyways.
What had Shepard worried wasn't just the fact that Tarak and Sovereign's forces were here; it was also due to the biohazard that the colonists seemed to be completely unaware of. Scans of Fai Dan while they were talking showed Shepard that he was also being affected by what was in the air, though as far as he could tell, the man was still in his right mind, for now at least. Ian's behavior down in the tunnels, however, had Shepard suspicious. There's something that he's not telling me, he thought as he looked at Fai Dan. Still, I'm thinking that if whatever that stuff was could keep Ian from telling me the truth, then it might be doing the same to Fai Dan. Still, I wonder what Ian meant by 'under the colony.'
As he thought this over, he heard someone approaching their position, prompting him to look in that direction. The moment he saw SLDF I/FF transponder signals on his HUD, he relaxed, as that told him that was Legion and Wrex, though he saw a third one that was coming along as well. Must be the SLIC Agent that Saren mentioned earlier, he decided. Moments later, Wrex and Legion came around the corner, along with a female Sangheilian that had horns coming out the back of her head. The Geth Platform was also carrying what Shepard could see was an Advanced ExtraLight Fusion Engine Assembly, which consisted of not only the engine, but the heat pump required to keep it cool. "Everyone alright," he asked.
"Yes," Legion replied, the Geth Combat Chassis looking at him. "We completed our objectives. The Alpha Varren was unusually cooperative with our goals. Scans indicated that it was heavily infested with parasitic organisms."
"So those attacks were an attempt to communicate," Shepard asked. He asked this as he once had a dog that acted the same way. Everyone had thought it was rabid, only to learn that it was in pain from a painful infestation of worms in it's large intestines.
"Yes," the Chassis nodded. "We put the Alpha Varren down mercifully. None of the others attacked. We also recovered a Fusion Engine for the colony."
"I took care of the transmitter in the tunnels," Wrex replied, "or rather she did. I just got rid of all the enemies that were in the room." He motioned to Riala with a thumb when he said this.
"Anything special about the fight," Shepard asked
"There were Storm Covenant Elites in the room," Wrex nodded. "Zealots or Captains from the looks of it. Either way, it was a challenge, but she and I took them out. She then crushed the transmitter with… tentacles."
"I see," Shepard remarked. Looking at the Sangheilian, he asked, "I take it you were the SLIC contact that Saren mentioned, yes?"
"That is correct," Riala nodded. "Riala 'Kusovai, at your service."
"Riala," Shepard asked, surprised. "As in Bero 'Kusovai's wife?"
"That's correct," Riala nodded. "As for why I'm here, the SLIC asked if I could help them investigate ExoGeni, on charges of corruption and corporate espionage. Given that rooting out corruption is one of my favorite hobbies, I decided that I would help them out by any means necessary. I was about to begin my investigation when I and the colonists had the misfortune of being trapped by terrorist forces. Given what I had heard before I left for the colony, I assumed that a Reaper was attacking, so I did the best to evacuate the colonists. I just wish I had saved more though."
"You did what you could," Shepard replied. "You can be thankful for that. Welcome along for the ride, Riala."
"Thank you," the Sangheilian purred. After a moment, she said, "Well, don't let me stop you from carrying out your orders. I am under your command for the duration of your op."
"Noted," Shepard nodded. Turning to Legion, he said, "Legion, get that Fusion Engine Assembly to Mayford, she'll know what to do. We'll inform Fai Dan of what we've accomplished thus far." As the Geth Chassis left to carry out it's orders, Shepard walked over to Fai Dan. "We got the water supply up and running again, and we've made sure you can safely hunt once again. We also destroyed a terrorist transmitter we found in the tunnels. The colony can breath easier now."
"Thank you," Fai Dan breathed, relief palpable on his face. "You've just given us a lot of hope, Commander. The colony is safe thanks to you; now we can get to work figuring out how to retake the rest of the colony."
"You worry about the colony," Shepard countered. "I'll worry about the terrorist forces on the planet. My orders are to clear them out if they had a presence here. Just stay put and relax." Fai Dan looked like he wanted to argue, but then he closed his mouth, having changed his mind. Moments later, Legion returned, having dropped off the Fusion Engine Assembly. "Everyone here," Shepard asked. When everyone nodded, he said, "Alright. We need to get to the other tower. Joker's dropped off the Manticore-V. We can't take the 'Mech unfortunately; the tunnel ceiling are low enough that the 'Mech won't fit, and I don't want to cause any more damage to a 50,000 year old structure. The Combat Vehicle will do. Move out." With that, the squad began to move out towards the Vehicle Bay the colonists were using. Getting into a working elevator the colonists had built, he hit a button that would take them to the Bay.
After a few seconds of downward travel, the elevator came to a stop, before opening up to the garage. The interior of the Vehicle Bay was full of maintenance equipment for civilian vehicles, though Shepard knew that the equipment was also used by SLDF maintenance personnel for Combat Vehicles as well. Looking to his left, he spotted the Manticore-V MBT that was sitting inside of the Bay, the matte gray and olive drab armor giving it a menacing appearance in the light of the Vehicle Bay.
As soon as he looked around, four Storm Covenant Combat Drones flew into the Vehicle Bay, each one firing plasma based weaponry at anyone that was in the area. Having gotten his rifle out earlier, Shepard opened fire, blasting apart one with his rifle, while Wrex, Tali and Legion fired on a separate one. The last one attempted to attack Riala, only for the female Sangheilian to dodge, before she elongated her mandibles into tentacles, wrapping them around the drone before crushing it moments later. Retracting the elongated appendages, she looked at the others and said, "Is there something wrong?"
"No," Tali, who'd been staring, replied. "It's just that I… well… I've never really seen that before. Is that normal for you?"
"Yes," Riala nodded. "When you have the genesong of a Precursor mixed with your own DNA, you can do a lot of things that would have most people surprised. I understand your curiosity, but right now, we have a mission to complete. When we're out of danger, I will do the best I can to satisfy your curiosity." That shook Tali out of her amazement, as she shook her head as if to clear it and began walking towards the vehicle.
"Thank you, Riala," Shepard remarked as he walked towards the tank.
"You're welcome," Riala nodded. "It was the least I could do." Looking at Tali, she said, "She's young and naive, but she has a noble and kind heart. It would do her well if you could help her in that regard."
"I intend to," Shepard nodded. "Naivety has gotten people liked before." Riala simply nodded as she walked over to the tank.
The Manticore-V Main Battle Tank, aesthetically speaking, was similar in appearance to the 21st century M1A3 Abrams MBT, with the main differences being an addition of ATM/10 missile racks, as well as the use of a Fusion Engine instead of an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine), along with an MPL Turret and a Gauss Autocannon/20, the mass accelerator variant of the Advanced Ultra Autocannon/20. The Manticore-V MBT, from what Shepard could recall, was armored with a good ten tons of Advanced Ferro-Lamellor armor, giving it substantial levels of protection, which was bolstered by the Diana-III Energy Shield Generator that was built in. The main turret of the MBT was remotely operated from inside the actual crew compartment, which was located in the body of the tank, along with the cockpit. The olive drab and gray paint on the armor gave the vehicle a menacing appearance inside of the lighting of the Vehicle Bay.
Walking around to the back, he watched as a pair of Armored Doors automatically opened, revealing the interior of the Manticore-V. The interior of the Manticore-V was comfortable looking, with three passenger seats, and a fourth seat that the pilot of the vehicle would use to both drive the MBT and fire it's main cannon. The seats had crash harnesses built in to prevent the passengers from being jostled around, with each chair having a computer display built into each one. Beyond that, the interior of the vehicle was fairly spartan, owing to Defiance Industries philosophy of keeping things uncluttered and simple.
Clambering inside, he got into the pilot seat of the tank, while Legion, Tali and Wrex bucked into the seats. Riala remained free standing, using her shape-shifting abilities to glue herself to the interior wall. Once she was settled in, Shepard began to the powering up procedures of the tank itself. As he proceeded through the power up sequence, the tank's systems reported the status of the vehicle, from the reactor to sensors. "Reactor: Online,"the voice announced. "Sensors: Online. Weapons: Online… All Systems: Nominal." Moments later, he watched as a compressed, 360° view of the tank's exterior came up on his HUD, while his helmet's neurological sensors activated, allowing him to control the tank as easily as his body. Once he was ready to go, Shepard fully powered up the vehicle and began driving out, the doors to the Vehicle Bay opening up.
The skyway they were driving on was a mess, with fires having sprung out from recent events. He could also see a number of areas that were structurally unstable, with sensors highlighting those areas as yellow. Gunning the throttle, Shepard drove the vehicle out of the Bay, the sounds of the treads clanking inaudible to his ears as he drove. As he drove, he spotted a Heretic Geth DropShip offloading what appeared to be primitive QuadMechs. "Geth Armatures," he heard Legion explain. "The Heretic Geth use them for combat operations. Non-Heretic Geth replaced them with remote operated BattleMechs."
"Noted," Shepard replied as he drove forwards. Spotting one Geth Armature, he opened fire with the GAC/20, sending a HEAP slug at relativistic velocities towards the Armature. Moments later, a shield around the Armature activated, deflecting the first shell, though at considerable cost to it's integrity. Firing the weapon again, Shepard was satisfied when the Geth Armature's shields failed, with the nanolaminate armor provided by the Storm Covenant failing to stop the HEAP shell. It promptly exploded, unable to stand up to SLDF vehicular weaponry. In retaliation, the other Armature fired a plasma bolt at high velocity, with the bolt splashing against the shields of the Combat Vehicle. Firing the VS-SPL, Shepard damaged the Armature's shields, before blasting it apart as well. At the same time, Tali, who was controlling the MPL Turret, fired on any Heretic Geth that were in the area, destroying them as well.
As they drove along, Shepard began thinking about what had happened with the Armatures. It's clear the Storm Covenant's upgrading the Heretic Geth with their technology, he thought. Even the Geth Platforms on the ground were upgraded with nanolaminate armor and energy shields. I wouldn't be surprised if 'Mdama loaned Tarak some of his WarShips as well. With that in mind, he continued to drive onwards. As he did so, he spotted something on his HUD; apparently, the tank's sensors were detecting a low level radio signal that was coming from a skyscraper. "Tali, are you getting this," he asked, since she could see the same thing as he could.
"Yes," Tali replied. "It's a radio signal of some kind. Apparently, it's coming from the skyscraper up ahead. I'm keying in on it now." Moments later, Shepard heard garbled speech, indicative of a radio signal that was being jammed. Focusing on it, he drove into the Prothean hub, turning the tank down a series of ramps that were just barely able to support the tank's weight. As he drive forwards, he spotted what looked like an entrance to a smaller room, with the radio signal falling silent moments later.
Stopping the tank, he disengaged from the tank systems and got out, weapon in hand as he and Wrex walked out of the tank, heading down the ramp moments later. The ramp led down into an adequately lit room that was at the bottom of the ramp, with a number of barricades that were at the bottom. Concrete blocks were lying on the ground, acting as cover, while a few powerful lights were present in the room. Shepard spotted what appeared to be ExoGeni Corporate Security, as well as a few civilian personnel inside as well. One of the civilians, an Asian man with black hair and tanned skin walked forwards, his uniform stained and dirtied. "That's close enough," he told them.
"Relax, Jeong," a woman with similar facial features chided the man. "They're obviously not the terrorists that attacked us."
"And you trust too easily, Juliana," Jeong retorted.
"Sorry about that," Juliana said to Shepard. "We've all been on edge since the terrorist attack. I'm Dr. Juliana, and this is Jeong, our supervisor and the local head of ExoGeni here. We came here when the colony was attacked, brought a few people along as well. We still don't know if the others survived."
"They have," Shepard replied. "We helped them get comfortable before coming here."
"You said they were dead," Juliana snapped at Jeong.
"I said they were probably dead, Juliana," Jeong corrected. "There's a difference."
Clearing his throat, Shepard got their attention back on track instantly. "Do you know where the terrorists are coming from. The leader of the colony survivors said one of the buildings in the area."
"Yes," Juliana replied. "The terrorist forces are coming from what used to be ExoGeni's local HQ. They've attached one of their WarShips to the side of the building and have been relentlessly assaulting the area since then. If you're trying to get rid of them, then your best bet is to look in there."
"Just one caveat," Jeong told Shepard. "That's corporate property. If you're over there for any duration, keep your search confined to the terrorists in the building. We don't want to have all of our projects laid bare for our competitors to find."
"I'll try not to be intrusive," Shepard reassured the twitchy corporate liaison. "If it involves the SLDF, however, I will investigate. You can count on that." Looking at Juliana, he said, "Anything else I need to know?"
"There's one more thing," Juliana replied, "more of a personal matter. My daughter, Lizabeth, was in the building when the terrorists attacked. Jeong says she's dead, but I know my daughter well enough that I know she's not dead. There are a number of places that she can hide in the building, and she's far too tenacious to allow some lowlife terrorist to kill her. If you can, please find her. It would mean the world to me."
Shepard nodded at that. He knew enough about family to know how important it was. "I can't make any guarantees, but I'll do what I can. I might stumble into her at some point."
"Thank you," Juliana beamed. "If you bring her back, I'll be forever grateful."
"I'll do what I can," Shepard nodded. "Stay put until the all clear is sounded. Understand?" When Jeong and the others agreed, he turned back up the ramp and walked back into the tank. Clearing his throat, he said, "Looks like Tarak's forces have a Geth WarShip on the local HQ for ExoGeni. I'll bet that's where the attacks are coming from. If we move quickly, we can destroy the WarShip and cripple Tarak's forces in this system."
"Agreed," Riala nodded. As he was about to buckle in, she said, "Shepard, I forgot to mention this to you, but when we were at the colony, I could sense another consciousness. It wasn't like the other colonists; this one was older, far older than even the Protheans. I know for certain that it isn't a Reaper, but I do know that it is frightened… and angry. I also sensed spores in the air that the colonists were breathing in."
"I had a suspicion that something was off," Shepard remarked. "Our ship detected airborne biohazards when we docked. We've been wearing our helmets since then. If what you're saying is true, then the two might be interconnected to each other. When we get back to the colony, you think you can communicate with it?"
"Yes," Riala nodded. "It is telepathic, that much I know for certain." With that, Shepard fully buckled in and reconnected to the tank's systems. Gunning the throttle, he drove out for the enemy HQ.
. . .
Just as Juiana had said, the Heretic Geth WarShip was clamped onto the side of the local ExoGeni HQ, as Shepard spotted it as soon as the vehicle exited the building. More Heretic Geth forces were present, but they quickly fell to the MBT's advanced arsenal of weaponry. Still, it was clear that Tarak's forces were concentrated here, as Shepard had spotted more enemy QuadMechs and infantry in the area. Spotting the entrance to the local HQ, he frowned when he saw that it was blocked off by large concrete columns that only permitted personnel through. "Hang on," he told the others, before gunning the throttle. Moments later, the tank smashed into the narrow opening.
There was a loud crashing sound as 100 tons of Advanced Endo Titanium, weapons systems and Advanced Ferro-Lamellor Armor smashed through the Prothean concrete, sending chunks of rock and debris everywhere. As soon as the Manticore-V burst through the concrete barricade, plasma fire pelted the vehicle, bouncing off of the shields as the concentrated enemy personnel opened fire. Aiming the tank cannon, Shepard blasted a large group into nonexistence with the GAC/20, while firing off the VS-SPL and missiles in the confined space. At the same time, Tali fired the MPL turret, holding down the firing stud as she swept the area left and right, blasting apart any infantry she spotted. When the dust settled, dozens of Heretic Geth, Batarian Clones and a few Storm Covenant were lying on the ground, dead.
"Everyone out," Shepard ordered, with everyone inside of the vehicle clambering out as soon as the words left his mouth. Hitting a holographic icon, he activated the tank's security measures before getting out, with the Armored Doors sealing shut behind him. Weapons in hand, the squad moved out of the vehicle and began moving forwards. That was when he spotted it. A Brute, he thought, surprised by what he was seeing; walking over, he kicked over the alien to see the Storm Covenant's symbol. Spotting what appeared to be an cleverly concealed computer chip that his HUD identified, he accessed it, only to see a symbol he hadn't seen before. "Riala, what do you make of this," he asked.
"What," the female Sangheilian asked. When Shepard pointed at the symbol, she gained a thoughtful look. "Hhmm, it appears as though they are against the Storm Covenant after all."
"What is it," Shepard asked.
"That's the symbol of the Banished," Riala explained. "They're a splinter faction of the Covenant that formed when Atriox, a Jiralhanae Chieftain, broke away from the Covenant during the Covenant-UNSC War, before the Star League's arrival, after which they received an influx of Sangheilians and other species. They're working with the Storm Covenant, but it's a relationship that's fraught with distrust."
"Why would these 'Banished' be working with the Storm Covenant?"
"They are not, Shepard. The Banished and Storm Covenant are actually allied against each other; I know because SLIC Agents in the Banished reported that Atriox doesn't trust 'Mdama, and with good reason. Since then, they've been engaged in a rivalry with each other. It's the SLIC's hope that we can persuade Atriox to come over to our side, though that will be difficult given how jaded Atriox is when it comes to serving organizations like the Star League."
"I see," Shepard. "If we spot any Banished inside the Storm Covenant, let me know. That way, we don't accidentally kill anymore." Riala nodded in agreement as they proceeded forwards. Spotting what he realized was a forcefield, Shepard frowned. "Looks like the Heretic Geth are cordoning off the building. Any suggestions?"
"Down here," Wrex suggested, pointing at a rubble filled ramp leading inside. "We can get in through here." Nodding, Shepard and the others clambered inside, weapons ready as they moved into a large, internal chamber that had some water collecting at the bottom. A dead Varren was on the ground, a HEAP round having punched through it's side.
Suddenly, weapons fire shot through the air, narrowly missing Shepard and the others. "Damnit," a voice called out, just as Shepard aimed his weapon; moments later, a young woman with black hair and a teal uniform walked out into the open. "I-I'm sorry. I-I thought you were one of them." She lowered her weapon a moment later, letting it fall to the ground.
"It's alright," Shepard replied. "Just check your target before you fire." Looking at her uniform, he asked, "You're Lizabeth, right? Your mother said that you were still alive in the building."
"Mom's alive," Lizabeth gasped. When Shepard nodded, she said, "That's wonderful! I thought I was the only survivor. Can I go see her?"
"Not yet," Shepard replied. "The building's stuffed with terrorists, and I don't want any civilians injured if we get into a crossfire." Looking around, he asked, "Do you know what the terrorists are after?"
"I don't know," Lizabeth replied. "They just attacked for some reason. They might be after the information in the data archives we have on site."
"Any way to get there?"
"There is, but the WarShip the terrorists are using is blocking access to parts of the building. I think they're getting all their power for the defenses from the ship itself. If you dislodge it, it might shut down the defenses."
"Alright. Head for the Combat Vehicle that we left in the chamber behind us and stay there. Understood?" Nodding her head, Lizabeth immediately left, clambering up the rubble filled ramp and towards the vehicle.
As she did so, Shepard heard a growling sound. Turning around, he watched as a pack of Varren came into view, with some clambering out of open air vents near the ground. It was clear that they were agitated, as they were snarling loudly. Shepard was about to fire when Legion roared, a loud, snarling sound that echoed in the chamber, with the Combat Chassis spreading it's wings to make itself more intimidating. As soon as the Geth Chasiss did that, the Varren backed off, realizing that this was a predator that they had no chance of winning against. Thanks to that action, Shepard and the others moved through the chamber, though they kept an eye on the Varren pack as they entered the rest of the buildings.
As they entered the building, Riala looked at Shepard and said, "Lizabeth was lying."
"She was," Shepard asked.
"Yes," Riala nodded. "I could feel her thoughts while she was talking with you. She knows what Tarak's forces are after, but she was frightened enough by what might happen if she told the truth. She's a good person, but she's been coerced into lying to anyone outside of ExoGeni."
Shepard frowned as he remembered that ExoGeni was being investigated for various crimes. "I see," he remarked. "I'll ask her what the truth is when we get back, that is if we don't find it inside the building."
"Agreed," Riala nodded. With that, they moved through the structure, weapons in hand as they continued to their objective. Most of the structure, according to the schematics Saren had sent Shepard, consisted of stairwells, hallways, as well as large chambers that ExoGeni were using as offices and workplaces. The team also found that ExoGeni was relying on field Compact Fusion Reactors, as they had to step over thick power cables in places. Fortunately, it seemed as though the Fusion Reactors had been locked down, preventing Tarak's forces from using them.
Moving through a series of hallways, Shepard found himself entering a large chamber that held what he realized was a docking clamp for a Heretic Geth WarShip. Down below, on the floor below, he spotted some Geth that were, oddly enough, bowing to what appeared to be a bright orb of light in the room. Taking the opportunity in front of him, he opened fire, destroying both platforms before they had a chance to activate their shields. "Legion, assessment," he asked.
"This is a Docking Claw for a Heretic Geth WarShip," Legion replied. "The Heretic Geth are using this method to allow them to connect to the rest of the building, allowing them to power up barricades and other defenses. We do not have sufficient explosives to dislodge this claw."
"What about this," Shepard asked, pointing at the glowing orb.
"The Heretic Geth revere the Old Machines as deities," Legion explained. "The pinnacle of non-organic life. It is logical to assume that they believe the Old Machines are a higher power."
"That's what I was thinking," Tali remarked.
"Either way, I can't wait to blow them off the building," Wrex remarked, a smug grin on his face. "Is there anything we can use against them?
"I've got an idea," Tali replied. "According to the schematics Saren sent us, there appears to be a room with a blast door over a large opening. My guess is that ExoGeni was using the room as a small Hangar Bay. Cameras that Legion hacked indicate that one of the claws goes through that building. If we activate the blast door mechanisms, we can shear off the claw like a pair of tin snips cutting through metal."
"Excellent idea," Shepard nodded. "We'll use that to dislodge the building from the rest of the structure. The Heretic Geth probably know that, so that's where their defensive structures will be located at. Once we get here, expect heavy resistance." Nodding in agreement, the others moved forwards through the structure, weaving through the various rooms and hallways presented to them. As they did so, Shepard noticed what he realized were databanks. "Wait up," he ordered. "Legion, break into those archives. I've got a feeling we might find what we're looking for in there."
"Understood," the Geth Chassis nodded. Walking up to the databanks, Shepard watched as Legion stood at the computer console; while it seemed to be doing nothing, Shepard knew it was actually breaking through the cyber defenses that ExoGeni's computers were using. A moment later, he heard Legion say, "Defenses penetrated. Downloading information… download complete. Shepard-Commander, it appears as though the Star League's suspicions towards ExoGeni were well founded."
"How so," Shepard asked.
"ExoGeni discovered a sapient lifeform that is currently underneath Zhu's Hope, codenamed the 'Thorian.' According to ExoGeni's studies, it is a sapient, plant-based lifeform that appears to be able to control other organisms using spores that gradually alter a organism's neurochemistry, allowing the Thorian to control it via quantum entanglement based telepathy. It appears as though the colonists were infected by the spores, with the Thorian controlling them, while allowing them to pantomime a normal existence."
That had Shepard shocked, and angered. "Those motherfucking sons of bitches," Shepard growled. "I knew that something was off when that one colonist greeted us. It also explains what happened to Ian at the colony: the Thorian was controlling, preventing him from telling us about it." A moment later, he asked, "What about Lizabeth? What does the information say about her?"
"ExoGeni placed a number of restraining orders and restrictions onto her credentials," Legion replied. "According to records, she protested the company's use of the colonists as 'guinea pigs.' Corporate records indicate that the local ExoGeni official Jeong threatened her with experimentation and blacklisting if she did not cooperate. Camera and HPG COM records indicate she attempted to send a message to the Capellan Confederation Colonial Administration Affair's department, but this was unsuccessful when Tarak's forces attacked."
"She tried to blow the whistle on them," Riala concluded. "That would explain why she was forced to lie to us; she though that ExoGeni had told us about her complaints. It would also explain why she was frightened: she didn't want to lose her mind to a sapient plant." Looking at Legion, she asked, "Anything else about the Thorian?"
"None that is accessible," Legion replied.
"At least we know the truth," Shepard nodded. "Lizabeth is to be commended for her bravery. When we get back, I'll let her know I know the truth, but I'll congratulate her for that. As for Jeong, Riala, you have the honor of arresting him on the spot. I won't let that fat bastard get away with this for long."
"I agree," Riala growled. "It's time to mete out some justice." With that, the squad continued to move through the building, weapons ready for any enemy forces. Eventually, they entered a large chamber that ExoGeni was using as a Hangar Bay, as Shepard spotted VTOL landing pads. They weren't large, but they could service a Hermes-II VTOL if it landed perpendicular to the hangar bay doors. He could also see what he knew were controls for the blast door.
Unfortunately, the majority of the Heretic Geth, Batarian clones and Storm Covenant were concentrated here as well, as Shepard saw a shitton of fortifications and enemy personnel. "Open fire," he roared as the enemy opened fire as well, forcing the team into cover. Popping out of cover, Shepard fired his rifle, killing a few Batarian Clones in the process. A group of Heretic Geth were promptly stripped of shields, courtesy of an Overload from Tali, allowing Wrex to tear apart those Geth with his biotics. Legion, being the machine that it was, vaulted over a concrete block and into an Elite, knocking the alien over. Grabbing the alien, it threw it into another Elite, before tossing a grenade into the small dogpile. Moments later, an explosion tore through the air as the Elites were shredded by the grenade.
Riala, in this case, was a living, breathing whirlwind of death for any of the enemy personnel that got too close to her. Morphing into a bipedal wyvern, she roared as she threw herself at the enemy, dodging weapons fire with preternaturally fast reflexes. Smashing into a Heretic Geth Juggernaut, she ripped the machine in half with one swipe from her claws, with the enemy Platform giving a loud, surprised shriek as it was promptly bisected. Using her tail, Riala elongated it, stabbing it through a Batarian Clone while firing bony spears out of one of her arms, killing another clone. A Storm Covenant Elite attempted to attack her, only for Riala to elongate her breasts into bone tipped tentacles, punching through the Elite's chest and killing it instantly.
The fighting went on like this for a good three minutes, with Shepard and his team fighting to get at the controls for the blast doors, while Tarak's forces attempted to hold them off. While Tarak's forces were determined, they were eventually overwhelmed by Shepard's team, with the enemy forces being whittled down over time. Eventually, Shepard killed the last enemy combatant, shooting a round through the clone's helmet. After checking to see that all enemy combatants were down, he asked, "Everyone alright?"
"I'm good," Riala replied, her voice holding a growling undertone as she was still in her wyvern-like form.
"I'm good," Wrex nodded.
"Same here," Tali called out.
"This Chassis is still operational," Legion replied.
"Alright then," Shepard nodded. "Time to wrench this thing off the building." Walking up to the console, Shepard attempted to access it, only for the device to throw him out. "OK," he remarked. "Time to do this the old fashioned way." Spotting a maintenance panel, he used his suit's Myomers to help him tear the panel off, exposing a number of wires on the inside. Pulling out some wires, he began to hotwire them together, small sparks jumping across connections as he manually rerouted power to a small router he installed. Opening his Omni-Tool, he smiled when he saw the holographic controls for the blast door. Spotting the close icon, he pressed the button. A moment later, a warning came up, saying, "Warning: Obstruction Detected. Deactivating Motor."
"Override," Shepard ordered. "SLDF Code Delta 4-1-8-9-5." Moments later, the screen said, "Override Accepted. Deploying Blast Door. Stand Clear." Moments later, the drama began.
Like a hammer smashing into an anvil, the blast door came down onto the Docking Claw on the enemy WarShip, shearing it in half with a loud CRUNCH! Moments later, the building shook and shuddered as the rest of the Docking Claws, unable to remain anchored to the building, began to slip off. There was a loud BANG as one claw slipped, then another as the remaining ones pulled free, sending the Heretic Geth WarShip plummeting to it's doom on the surface of Feros, a good three kilometers down at the surface. With that, the shaking stopped, with the room becoming silent moments later. "That did it," Tali observed. "The forcefields are down."
"Dropping the enemy to death from a great height," Riala remarked as she morphed into her Sangheilian form. "How immensely… satisfying."
"That was awesome," Wrex purred. "Kicking a lot of enemy ass before dropping them to their doom with a huge crash." Even Shepard smirked at that.
That smirk faded, however, when he heard Joker contacting him. "Alpha Squad, this is the SLS/HDF Normandy, do you read me?"
"I read you Normandy," Shepard replied. "What is it?"
"We're in lockdown, Alpha-1," Joker replied. "The moment the enemy WarShip was destroyed, the colonists immediately went into a frenzy. They're banging on the hull with whatever weapons they have. It's a madhouse out there."
"Alpha-1, this is Overlord," came Anderson's voice. "Get to the colony and find out what's going on."
"What about you guys," Shepard asked.
"We'll be fine," Anderson reassured Shepard. "They can't do any real damage to us. Just get to the colony outpost and find out what's going on. That's an order!"
"Understood," Shepard nodded. Closing the COM link, he said, "I take it that's the Thorian, yes."
"Correct," Riala nodded. "I can sense fear and anger coming from it. It wants to be left alone, but we can't let it enslave the colonists. If we can get to it, Shepard, I can convince it to let the colonists go in exchange for being lonely."
"Let's hope it's in a talkative mood," Shepard decided. "Let's get out of here."
The return trip to where the Manticore-V was located at was much easier than before, as there were no enemies to harry them. As they arrived, Lizabeth came towards them. "The force fields are down," she remarked. "Let's get out of here."
"Before we go, though," Shepard replied. "I just want you to know that I know.
"What do you mean?"
"I know what ExoGeni's been up to here," Shepard replied, with Lizabeth's eyes widening in shock. "I know that they were using the colonists to study the Thorian, a plant based lifeform that ExoGeni found here. I also know that you protested what they were doing, only for them to threaten you. That was brave of you to protest when they began breaking the law; not many corporate employees have the guts to do that."
When he said this, Lizabeth relaxed. "I-I just wanted the experiments to stop. What they were doing was wrong! I couldn't let it go on! I'm just… I'm just sorry that this happened."
Walking over, Riala hugged the young woman, a purr coming from her throat as she did so. "It's OK," she purred to Lizabeth. "You tried to do what is right, even thought it would've resulted in what they threatened you with. You can be proud of that; not many people have the courage to stand up to that form of corruption and intimidation. Still, we must return to the colony. I fear that we don't have long." Nodding in agreement, the others got into the tank, with Riala holding onto Lizabeth so that she wouldn't be jostled around too badly.
Just like with the return trip, there was no enemy resistance, which was a bit of a relief. Arriving at where Jeong and the others were at, Shepard and the others got out, but with weapons drawn. Peering inside, Shepard could hear Juliana shout, "You won't get away with this, Jeong!"
"Get her out of here," the man angrily snapped, with Corporate Security moving in.
"Hands in the air," Shepard shouted, shocking the people inside. As he walked inside, he said, "Ethan Jeong, by the power invested into me by the Star League Defense Force and the Federated Commonwealth, you are under arrest for illegal experimentation, corruption and corporate espionage. You are ordered to surrender immediately and to have your team do so as well. Failure to comply will be seen as an act of aggression and will be dealt with accordingly. You have twenty seconds to comply."
"How did you-", Jeong gasped, before he realized what had happened. He was about to raise his pistol and fire when Shepard fired first, shattering the weapon in Jeong's hand and blowing his hand off in the process. The man screamed loudly as Shepard walked over, knocking him out before having Tali cauterize the wound with medical supplies on the vehicle. Corporate Security, realizing that Shepard did have that authority, immediately stood down, dropping their weapons before Riala cuffed them.
"Thank you for coming back so quick," Juliana breathed as she hugged Lizabeth, tears of relief and joy streaming down her face. "I thought Jeong was going to kill us. ExoGeni wanted this place purged, including Lizabeth and myself. Thanks to you, however, that won't happen at all."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. "That just leaves the colonists. The Thorian is controlling them."
"I have a solution for that," Riala said to Shepard. "I can use my telepathy to render the colonists unconscious. That will allow us to nonlethally incapacitate them. You won't have to worry about me when I do that, as I can fight with my mind and body simultaneously."
"Good idea," Shepard nodded. Looking at Juliana, he pulled out his sidearm and said, "Take this. Make sure Jeong and the others don't get any smart ideas. If they try to pull a fast one, shoot them. I don't care if they're killed; at this point, they're wanted criminals."
"Oh, I certainly will," Juliana growled, her hands firmly on the weapon once Shepard handed it to her. "You go save the colonists. I'll make sure this slippery little shit doesn't go anywhere." Smirking, Shepard nodded before he and the others got back into the tank. Gunning the throttle, they traveled up the ramps in the building and back to the colony.
That was where things got strange, in a Lovecraftian manner. As they drove up to the Vehicle Bay doors, Shepard spotted something in front of the door. Stopping the tank, he got out, along with the others, before cautiously approaching the object he spotted. To his shock, it stood up, resembling a human, only with olive green-black skin, hollow eye sockets, and a mouth that was permanently open. Looking at them, the creature moaned as it ran towards them, intent on getting close to them. Not letting it have a chance, Shepard fired, with the HEAP shell tearing it apart. "What the fuck was that," Wrex gasped. "That wasn't one of the colonists. No amount of infection could do that… at least, I hope not."
"That wasn't a colonist," Riala remarked as she examined the corpse, which was now dissolving in what appeared to be acid. "That is a construct by the Thorian, an antibody if you will. If my observation is correct, it uses this acid to kill or severely injure any organism that is attacking the Thorian and it's thralls. We'll have to keep them at a distance in order to stop them."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. "Everyone, make sure you kill those things before they get too close. Riala, make sure you incapacitate the colonists nonlethally. They're being forced to do something they don't want to do." With that, he opened up the Bay doors, ready for a fight.
The entire Vehicle Bay was crawling with the monsters, with many standing on cargo crates, machinery and even some at the barricade. As soon as the door opened, the creatures got up and charged, roaring and moaning loudly as the Thorian urged them on. At the same time the colonists, under the Thorian's influence, began to fire at the team, though their shots were wildly inaccurate. Shepard and his team, on the other hand, opened fire calmly, engaging the Creepers, as he took to calling them, while Riala used her telepathy on the colonists. Moments later, the incoming fire ceased as the colonists slumped to the ground, unconscious. The Creepers, while frightening, were not very durable, as Wrex's MPL Rifle was able to cut them apart with ease, while Legion's M42A3 PPR flash cooked them. Soon, all of the Creepers were dead, while the colonists had fallen asleep, their minds having gone to dreamland. Moving past the unconscious personnel, Shepard and the others got inside the elevator, before traveling to where the colony was at.
More Creepers were present in the hallways of the colony, as the Thorian seemed to be attempting to use attrition warfare to stop Shepard and his team. Fortunately, Shepard and the others had trained in countering this kind of warfare, as they were able to get through the Creepers with ease, while any colonists were rendered unconscious by Riala. The outpost itself was literally swarming with Creepers, forcing Shepard and the others to initially engage from the doorway itself. "Riala, we need help," he shouted.
"I've got it," Riala shouted, using her abilities to fight back. Morphing into her wyvern-like form, she tore through the Creppers with ease, modifying her scales so that she was immune to the Creepers acid. Claws and talons tore through Creeper flesh and bones as Riala systematically eliminated the swarm of Creepers that were assaulting their position. Once the Creepers were at a manageable level, Shepard and the others moved up, firing their weapons at the remaining Creepers while Riala rendered the colonists unconscious. Eventually, everyone at the colony that wasn't a Creeper was nonlethally neutralized.
As he walked towards the colony, Shepard saw Fai Dan coming out. The man seemed to be in an incredible amount of pain, as his face was contorted into a mask of agony. "I-I tried so hard to fight it, but it gets inside your head," the man struggled to say. "You can't imagine the pain." He pulled out a handgun, but was strong enough to resist firing at Shepard. "I-it wants me to stop you but I-I won't!" Raising the handgun towards his head, Fai Dan shouted, "I WON'T"
Before he could fire, Riala lashed out with a tentacle, disarming the man before restraining him. "How do we find it," she asked Fai Dan. "Fight it, Fai Dan. Don't let it win!"
"It's-AAAUGGGHHH," Fai Dan screamed, though he was fighting the Thorian's influence with all his might. "CARGO… CRANE. AAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!" With that, Riala gently rendered him unconscious, with the man's face becoming that of blissful relief as he fell asleep.
"Rest now," she said to Fai Dan. "The Thorian can't hurt you anymore." Turning around, she spotted the controls and walked over, before entering in a series of commands. Moments later, part of one of the buildings moved as it was lifted upwards into the air, revealing a staircase that went down into the sublevel of the colony. "Down here," she told Shepard. "It's down here." Nodding, Shepard and the others followed her down into there.
"OK," Tali remarked as they walked inside. "Now we just have to find the Thorian and what it… what it..." Looking up, Shepard saw what had caused Tali to trail off. They were currently standing in a chamber that was massive, with several sublevels going up and down, all connected by ramps of rubble and staircases. Lights feebly lit the chamber, with a shaft of light that streamed through a hole in the ceiling providing the most illumination. What it illuminated was ugly. To Shepard, it looked like a massive tumor, that is if said tumor had something resembling a face, along with tentacles growing out of said something. Most of it's bulk was suspended over the chamber by long stalks that were anchored into the walls. "Keelah," Tali gasped. "What is that?"
"I'm not sure if that's really a plant," Shepard remarked. "This is going to be… problematic."
"That's an understatement," Wrex remarked as they walked closer.
At a certain point, Riala said, "Shepard, I've got this." Walking closer to the Thorian, Riala used a series of tentacles to anchor herself to a pair of support columns. Once she was anchored, she closed her eyes and extended her mind towards the Thorian.
. . .
Riala had to admit, the Thorian's mind was much more expansive than she thought, though not as much as her own. Pushing through it's mental defenses, she could sense millennia of memories as she gently, but firmly, pushed through the Thorian's mind. "So much knowledge," she whispered. "The Thorian must have absorbed knowledge from the Protheans to have this much information in it's mind."
As she pushed through the memories, she felt the Thorian sense her mind. Moments later, Riala sensed fear as the Thorian saw what she was doing, with the other mind lashing out with whatever mental weapons it had. Acting fast, she deflected the mental attacks, before saying, "Stop. I don't want to hurt you. I'm not like the ones that hurt you."
When she said that, the mental attacks stopped, with the Thorian ceasing it's assault immediately. Moments later, a deep, thundering voice asked, "Who are you? You are not like the others. You are not like the cold ones, the empty ones and the other minds that were there. What are you?"
"I am a Sangheilian," Riala replied. "A species from the planet of Sangheilios. I gained the ability to speak telepathically when my mate, who was given a gift by another species, melded with me and shared his gift with me. My name is Riala 'Kusovai, the wife of Bero 'Kusovai, Vanquisher of the Flood." A moment later, she shared the relevant memories with the Thorian.
Surprise flashed through the Thorian's mind as it processed the new information. "The Precursors," it whispered. "They were what I am to this planet, yes?"
"More than that," Riala replied. "In my universe, they were the Living Universe incarnate. They enjoyed all the bad and good of life, calling it a 'sweetness' that they deeply enjoyed. The one that gave my husband, and by extension myself, the privilege of eventually becoming Precursors ourselves. He and I are the most powerful beings of our universe, though we use that power wisely and carefully, as we don't intend to become like the Flood."
"I see," the Thorian remarked. "If you are not like the cold and empty ones, why are you here?"
"We seek to stop the ones that attempted to harm you," Riala replied. "The cold and empty ones are led by evil, power hungry men that seek only to cause death, destruction and suffering on a scale never before witnessed. They are the ones that assaulted you and the ones you controlled, and they are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent people. My friends and I seek to stop them, to bring them to justice in order to make them answer for their crimes." In a softer tone, she said, "I know that you are frightened, frightened at what they wanted to do to you, and angry at what they tried to take from you. If you tell us what they wanted, will you allow the colonists living above you to regain their free will?"
Instead of replying verbally, the Thorian shared it's memories with Riala, holding back little, if anything. Riala gasped as she felt memories far older than even the Protheans rush through her mind, from the moment the Thorian was born, to the present day. She could also feel a strong sense of loneliness, and the desire for companionship, for someone that would not only understand the Thorian, but love it as well. It attempted to achieve this through it's thralls, but Riala could tell that the thralls were not nearly as durable, or long lived as it was. As the trickle of memories faded to a stop, she understood it's greatest fear: dying alone, with no one to comfort it. A moment later, she said, "I understand your fear, but denying a living being it's own free will is a crime in itself. All living things deserve the right to choose what they wish to do of their own free will. Isn't the preservation of free will and justice the right of all living things?"
When she said that, the Thorian fell silence, with memories flowing through it's mind as Riala continued to share memories with it. Riala could also tell that it was reliving it's life, using the information she shared with it to come to new conclusions. Horror flooded it's mind as it realized that, by preventing it's thralls from experiencing free will, it had not only ended lives, it had stopped lives from happening. As horror traveled through it's mind, Riala felt pity, a pity mixed with horror as she realized what the Thorian was planning to do, now that it had realized the severity of it's crimes. "Don't kill yourself, please," she pleaded.
"Why should I live any longer," the Thorian asked, grief and horror echoing in it's mind. "I've committed horrible crimes, crimes that must be punished! The only way that I can atone for those crimes is to kill myself! Then those thralls that I enslaved will have peace! They deserve that much at least."
"No," Riala snapped. "Don't do this! If you kill yourself, not only will you end up destroying the lives of those thralls, you will also be denying the Living Universe something wondrous and unique. Wouldn't your ancestors want you to continue living, to show that even though you committed horrible crimes, that you were willing to acknowledge your mistakes and correct them? I know it's not my place to decide what you must do, but please, don't ruin more lives by committing suicide." As the words echoed in her mind, she began to hope and pray that the Thorian would see reason and stop it's act of senselessness.
For a few long, cruel moments, she wondered if she had failed, then she felt the Thorian search her memories, including a few painful ones that she was reluctant to bring up. A moment later, it said, "You're… you're right. I don't want to bring more death and destruction, but I don't want to be alone either. What if the colonists don't want me here?"
"You're not an motile organism," Riala remarked. "If you apologize, and vow to not knowingly repeat the horrors you committed, then I'm certain the colonists will be willing to forgive you."
"Will they?"
"You'll never know if you don't give them a chance. Please, for their sake, give them a chance."
There was another few moments of silence, then the Thorian said, "I'll give them a chance. It's the least I can do. I'm… I'm sorry for what I've done. I'll do whatever it takes to atone for my crimes."
"That's all that anyone can ask for," Riala said comfortingly, gently brushing her mind along the Thorian's with the care only a mother could have. "As long as you do that, then I know for certain, that you won't die alone."
"Agreed," the Thorian accepted. "I've never met someone like you, Riala, but I'm glad that I have now. I'll tell you what the cold and empty ones wanted. They wanted the Cipher."
"The what?"
"The Cipher. It is a collection of all of the memories of the Protheans that I interacted with, combined and fused into a single whole. It will help whomever you're helping think like a Prothean, to understand their culture, their civilization as a whole. They took it, painfully, from me, but that wasn' the only copy that I made. Take it; you're more deserving of it than they are." Moments later, Riala felt knowledge flow into her mind, with the Cipher seamlessly melding with the rest of her mind. "Thank you, Riala, for saving me from myself."
"It was the least I could do," Riala nodded. With that, she began to pull out of the mindscape.
. . .
As this mental conversation went on, Shepard and the others paced around, waiting for Riala to finish up. Looking at the female Sangheilian, Shepard could tell that she was communicating telepathically, as her body was relaxed and her head leaning back, a solemn expression on her face. Both of her eyes were open, staring beyond the wall and into space. It had only been thirty seconds since she attempted to communicate with the Thorian, but he hoped that it wouldn't be long.
Apparently, Riala was successful, as a moment later, her eyes blinked and she returned to her normal posture, her tentacles being absorbed into her body. Turning to Shepard, she said, "I convinced the Thorian to allow the colonists to have free will. It also gave me what Tarak and Sovereign wanted."
"Why was it controlling the colonists," Shepard asked.
"It was afraid of being alone," Riala explained. "All living things, Shepard, want someone to be with them, even when they die, so that they don't die alone. The Thorian was no exception, so it used it's spores to control anyone that got close to it, rather than allowing those people to have free will. The spores are normally supposed to form a symbiotic relationship with any organisms in the area. I assured it that it wouldn't be alone, and that we wanted to bring Tarak to justice. He hurt it in order to gain the Cipher."
"The Cipher?"
"The collective memories of all the Protheans it interacted with. It copied and absorbed memories from the Protheans it enthralled, allowing it to understand Prothean society as though it was one. Tarak wanted it as he felt it would help him find the Conduit, but it had more than one copy. It also allowed me to have one of those copies, in exchange for allowing the colonists to live freely again."
"I see," Shepard remarked. "So, it wasn't trying to enslave them, it just didn't want to be alone." When Riala nodded, he said, "Well, it won't be alone any longer. At least we have what we needed. We can go now."
"Indeed," Riala nodded. "I'll return here when I've transferred the Cipher to your mind, Shepard. I have a feeling that the Thorian and I will be spending a lot of time with each other." Shepard knew he had to agree, even as he and the others left the chamber. Still, he hoped that Chief and Alex were having an easier time than he was.
