Chapter Nine
"This is your captain speaking. We are arrived at our destination of Noveria. The current ground temperature is a balmy -1 degrees Celsius however with winds gusting to over forty knots; it's going to feel a lot colder. We are currently in a holding pattern over Noveria because Noveria Flight Control has denied our request to land." Joker spoke over the ship wide intercom.
"Shepard to Cockpit." Zoe said, "Relay to those idiots that this ship is on Council business with a Council Spectre aboard. If that fails to award us ground clearance, you have my permission to buzz the tower." Zoe could hear Joker laughing up in the cockpit.
"Clearance granted. We will be docking in five minutes." Joker relayed back.
"T'Soni, Williams, Wrex, suit up, gear up and be ready to move out ASAP." Shepard barked over the intercom. She headed down the stairs to the crew deck and saw Alenko at his post.
"I know this is short notice but with Pressly going AWOL I needed an XO. You should have gotten a small ceremony but I know that's not your style. You put in the hard work and now you've earned a promotion which has been long overdue. You don't have to formally accept it right now. Even if you did I wouldn't be able to submit the required paperwork until after this mission anyways. It's more responsibility but I think you can handle it." Zoe said while trying to keep a smile on her face.
"I think I can handle the added pressure and responsibility Commander." Kaiden replied right before he looked down at Zoe's chest.
"Good, your first task is to inventory all of our supplies and write up requisition orders for anything we are needing. Take as many people as you need except for Chakwas, Moreau, Nar Rayya and Vakarian. I have a special task for the two guest engineers. Understood?" Zoe instructed her XO in training.
"Aye Aye Ma'am."
"Good. Dismissed."
Zoe detoured back to her quarters. She pulled off all of her clothes and then started digging in her footlocker. She loved putting on her compression underclothes. Those shirts kept the girls right in place better than any bra. Next she put on her armor. It was covered in dings, scrapes, and scratches but fit her better than any glove. Five minutes later, she was fully suited, booted and on her way to the armory. She headed to engineering and asked Tali to join quick briefing.
"Tali, Garrus, I have a good feeling that we are gonna need that Mako prepped for those icy conditions. I doubt our target will just be staying in the comfy corporate hotel during her visit. Make sure the tires are ready and the armor is in top shape. Do whatever else you deem mission critical. You two are the backups for this mission." Zoe turned back to the ground team who looked ready to go.
"We have successfully docked here at Port Hanshan on the lovely planet of Noveria. The ground team is requested to egress at the cockpit docking port. It looks like they sent out the welcoming committee to greet you guys. The flight crew thanks you for choosing Air Normandy." Came over the Normandy's Comm system. "You heard the flight attendant. Let's exit through the gift shop."
Of all the ships docked on the Citadel, why did I have to pick the one with another Shepard aboard? Miranda had dropped back into her Admiral Wannos persona. She needed to get off of the Citadel as soon as possible. The only ship scheduled to leave within the next few hours was the SSV Kilimanjaro. She checked that the ship's flight plan was heading through the Parnitha system. She just had to convince the ship's captain to allow her passage and approval of a detour to Thessia. She had pulled off tougher negotiations in the past. She saw an ensign approaching her out of the corner of her eye.
"Admiral, you have been asked to speak with the ship's Executive Officer. If you would please follow me, I will take you to her."
Miranda smiled before she spoke, "Thank you ensign?"
"Chambers, Ensign Kelly Chambers" The perky young redhead responded.
"You keep up that positive attitude and you will do great things Ensign. As much as I would like continue this conversation, I believe there I am going to be late for that meeting. Perhaps we could catch up later?" Miranda inquired. Where did this great attraction to redheads come from? First she drooling all over Shepard and now it's this extremely cute ensign.
"Only if the gods allow and perhaps a good word put in by a beautiful Admiral but my luck these days has been anything but good." Ensign Chambers replied. "We have reached the XO's office. She is waiting for your inside. Good luck, she wasn't very happy but she did agree to see you at the very least."
"Thank you again Ensign." Miranda couldn't help but watch the ensign walk away before she knocked on the XO's door. The door opened up and Miranda walked in. When the door closed she could feel the cold metal of a pistol being placed on the back of her neck. She then heard the telltale chirp of a gun ready to fire. She could have used her biotics to rip the gun from the XO's hand but decided it would look better for her if she didn't.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't drop a Cerberus dog into the ship's incinerator after lodging a round within her brain?" A female voice growled behind Miranda.
"Your daughter would wonder what became of the Cerberus officer who was trying to defect and reached out to for help. I was getting help from her until she received vital information critical to her mission. Secondly, you would only be doing Cerberus a favor. I have a target on my back which grows bigger by the day." Miranda heard the gun activate its safety before Hannah Shepard put her sidearm away.
"Zoe, just who and what have you gotten yourself involved with now?" Hannah muttered.
"To be fair XO, I targeted her specifically. Any other XO would have either tossed me in the brig or shot me on the spot if I told them what I told her. She saw right through my disguise as fast as you did."
"Old Jack Harper was pretty good at creating elaborate false identities. The only problem with yours is that my best friend from college is the actual head of the Defense Research Projects Group. A few keystrokes plus a very well made id card and you can be anybody you want. Every person on this ship guest or otherwise faces the same vetting. Ensign Chambers is very good at her job. She told me your poker face needs a little work. Now on to more important things like why have you decided to hitch a ride on my ship?"
"I needed to get off the Citadel as soon as possible. Your ship was the only want scheduled to leave within the hour. I had already survived one assassination attempt. I didn't feel like pressing my luck. You are passing through the Parnitha system. I was hoping you could drop me off on Thessia. A friend is letting me crash at her compound."
"So, you've met Liara as well? Those two are the best judges of character in the galaxy. If they are comfortable with you being under their protection, who am I to disagree. Do not betray that trust. I have already killed to protect my daughter and I have no qualms what so ever about doing it again. You are free to stay here in my cabin until we are in orbit over Thessia."
"Thank you XO."
"In private you can call me Hannah."
As much as Zoe hated wearing her helmet and today was no different but for a different reason. The winds of Noveria seemed to pas right through her helmet's visor. Ever since Eden Prime, her visor never worked right. It must have been when the Prothean beacon exploded in her face. As soon as her team exited the docking tube, they were greeted by a trio of heavily armed security guards with their weapons itching to be fired.
Shepard took point and addressed the hired guns. "You have two options. Stand down or take on a squad that included a krogan battlemaster, two highly decorated Alliance Marines and our secret weapon. The choice is yours and yours alone. Choose wisely."
The Asian woman whom Zoe assumed as the leader stepped forward. "We were told that this ship was carrying a Council Spectre who has business on Noveria. Any other business that hasn't been scheduled and approved is not allowed on this world."
"I guess I forgot to introduce myself. I am Commander Zoe Shepard of the Alliance Navy. I also am a Council Spectre."
A blonde haired woman with an ugly expression on her face cut Zoe off. "Bullshit, there has never been a human Spectre. Captain, this bitch is lying through her teeth. Let's just shoot them and throw their bodies into the nearest crevasse." The blonde charged up her shotgun and then pointed at Zoe's head.
"Captain Matsuo, you and your men are to stand down immediately. We have confirmed the Commander's identity. She is who she says she is. If you would kindly allow them to pass on through, you can go back to work." A feminine voice rang through the docking bay PA.
"While Parasini-san has cleared you Commander, we will still have our eyes watching over you and your team. Keep those weapons holstered at all times. You and your team may pass on through. I believe Parasini-san will be waiting for you." Captain Matsuo said as she holstered her sidearm. The scowling blonde didn't follow her boss's orders. "Sterling, drop your weapon before I shove mine down your throat and pull the trigger."
"Bwa ha ha ha I like the way you speak human." Wrex barked out in his gravely tone.
"Alright people, we aren't here to sightsee or to enjoy the balmy Noverian weather. Let's stick to our mission. I assume this Parasini is through those doors?" The Captain nodded. Shepard led her team through the automatic opaque glass panel sliding doors and up the stairs to some form of reception area when she heard alarms going off.
"Don't worry about those alarms. As a spectre, you and your team are authorized to carry weapons on Noveria. Otherwise those guards would have shot at you on sight. I am Gianna Parasini assistant to Administrator Anoleis. If you need to get anything done in or around Port Hanshan, you will have to go through him. His office is on the left side of the main floor just after an elevator ride. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me." Gianna said with a slight hint of seduction. Liara wanted to throttle this bitch with a biotic blast for the way she was making eyes at Zoe. The thought of causing Zoe more headaches from more paperwork dulled her growing irritation with the big breasted bimbo in the skin tight pink dress.
"Thank you kindly. I do have one question right now. Has there been anyone of note or unusual who has arrived in the past few days?" Zoe didn't think that this glorified secretary would talk out of turn but it never hurts to ask.
"There is nobody that fits your description other than that Asari Matriarch whom I had to fast track through the normally rigorous vetting program all at the behest of the Administrator right before I went home for the night. She, her small group of scientists and their equipment were all cleared by the Elanus Risk guards. She didn't check in to the hotel as is normally the routine. I am unsure of her final destination. I can say is that she isn't here." Gianna spoke before she shot Zoe a saucy wink.
"Is there any chance that speaking with this Anoleis will get me any closer to catching up with that Matriarch?"
"Very doubtful. He didn't get to where he is by letting corporate secrets out. On Noveria, murder is more excusable than reveal corporate secrets. There are other ways of obtaining what you need." Gianna followed her first wink with another.
"I'm nowhere near drunk enough to ever cheat on my partner with anyone let alone a corporate hussy like you." Zoe growled out.
"Go up to the hotel bar. The first round is on me. Order a Lorik Qui'in. Perhaps that's all you need." Gianna said this time without the hint of a wink. She abruptly turned around and walked back to wherever she came from. Shepard and her crew rode the elevator to the main floor. There were signs that pointed in many directions but the giant Martini glass was hard to mistake. Another elevator ride later, the foursome was standing in the bar of the Port Hanshan Hotel and Suites. Zoe motioned to her people to stay put while she went to go place that drinks order. She was surprised to find out that the bartender would never name a drink after a bum who never pays his bar tab. The bartender then pointed out said bum. Lorik Qui'in happened to be a turian sitting at a table by his lonesome nursing some sort of dextro based liquor. The bartender told her that Qui'in was the manager of the Noverian office for Synthetic Insights. Zoe heard that the company was one of only four officially authorized by the Council to research artificial intelligence.
"It's a sad day when a respected turian is nursing a drink at a bar instead of being a leader in his industry."
"How very true human. Have a seat. What can this humbled turian do for heavily armed Spectre?" Qui'in replied.
Zoe sat down across from Qui'in "With the rise of geth attacked throughout the galaxy, the Council has tasked me with investigating who or what is causing the geth to attack. A lead brought me to Noveria and I'm stuck in the thick mud of corporate bureaucracy. I need to leave Port Hanshan but was advised by that hussy Parasini that it was impossible. I'd rather not have to pull out the Spectre card and shoot my way through." Zoe couldn't hide the frustration from her voice.
"It seems I'm not the only one being hijacked by the wonderful administrator. His hired goons are strip searching my office either to find some incriminating evidence or more likely plant incriminating evidence. I would be willing to give you my pass to the garage in exchange for a copy of my files from my office computer. Those files are what his men are after. Those files prove that Anoleis is the corrupted one." Qui'in offered the Spectre.
"I'm not one to interfere with an ongoing investigation."
"This is how Anoleis stays in power. If you speak out about his practices, he uses his hired goons to do his dirty work. I doubt that captain of the guards Matsuo has any idea of what is going on. I was tossed out of my office by that biotic bitch Stirling."
In a low growl Zoe spat out "I'll take the job. I have a score to settle with that blonde bitchy bimbo."
"Here is my keycard and my personal OSD which will bypass the security and encryption protocols on my computer. Try to not get blood stains on the carpet. It's new and was rather expensive." Qui'in said as he turned over his keycard and OSD disk.
"That's up to them Qui'in. Shedding someone else's blood is a last resort and a failure in my book. Stirling needs to pay after she pointed her shotgun at my head. I'll reimburse you for the carpet if I do destroy it." Zoe said before she stood up from the table.
"Happy hunting Commander." Qui'in then flagged down a waitress and ordered another round.
Zoe left the turian to his alcohol and wasn't surprised to see her squad enjoying a drink probably at her expense. They told her it would have looked odd if they didn't blend in. After her squad mates finished their drinks, it was another amusing ride on a cramped elevator. Well any elevator would feel cramped if Wrex was riding in it. Zoe led her team to the front door of the Synthetic Insights office. She used Qui'in's keycard to unlock the door and was met by more gun toting security guards.
"You and your men are to cease your search and leave these offices immediately. The Council has ordered me to look into Synthetic Insights has any connections to the rise of Geth attacks. This investigation is now under my command. Failure to comply will lead to either incarceration or death. Choose wisely." Zoe said as she charged up her HMW shotgun. "This is your last chance to leave now."
The hired goons left quickly after she primed her shotgun. She told her squad to make sure that the offices were secure and then find suitable cover. She knew those morons would run back to Stirling and tell her what happened. Stirling being the bitch that she was would retaliate with a full squad. This was turning out to be an interesting day after all. Qu'in's office was on the second floor just up the stairs and over the open air walkway. She swiped the access card to unlock the door and walked into the posh office. There was apparently good money in the AI business.
Zoe plugged in the OSD disk that Qui'in had provided her. It did just what it said it would. It bypassed the security protocols and quickly copied the files needed. A devious thought popped into her head. She pulled out a few empty OSDs that Tali had given her before she left for the mission just in case the opportunity presented itself. She plugged in each one of the OSDs and began copying every one of Qui'in's files on AI research and any video files. She heard Ash say over her radio that they had company. Zoe primed up her shotgun before she left Qui'in's office.
"You and your men have no business being here Stirling. You are obstructing an official investigation authorized by the Citdael Council. Anoleis's dirty money won't save you here." Zoe said as both she and Stirling took aim at each other. Just as they were about to fire on each other, a familiar shot rang out.
Stirling had a hole drilled into her head while the back of her head exploded in a spray of blood, bone and brain matter. Before Zoe could blind two more shots rang out and Stirling's goons had been dropped to the floor by Ash and her trusty sniping skills. Zoe could hear Wrex laughing as he emptied his shotgun into another hired mercenary when Liara provided him covering fire and a biotic barrier. When the fighting was done, ten bodies littered the offices of Synthetic Insights and yet Shepard's squad suffered nothing but a few scratches. Zoe's omni-tool rang out to let her know that the file transfer was complete. She walked back to retrieve the OSDs. She wiped any record of that file transfer from the computer's history. She then hacked Qui'in office safe. She would blame those goons for the theft of that hundred thousand credit chit. There were some interesting and very compromising photos of a younger and very naked Gianna Parasini getting pounded by a very large Turian cock. Her lips were wrapped around the dick of a slimy salarian. Those photos looked like stills from a video. Zoe shouldn't be surprised by the woman's actions. It was the fastest way up the corporate ladder. To her, earning your spot the right way was more satisfying than jumping the line by allowing the boys to jump all over you. She left the office with everything she had collected. The squad was immediately confronted by the older looking Parasini.
"I was told that there was quite a commotion coming from the Synthetic Insights office. I came to investigate under the direction of the Administrator. Who else would I find coming out of the office with blood upon their armor other than you four?" Gianna tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice but she failed miserably.
"You might want call a cleanup crew for Qui'in's office. We left a pile of dead hired goons. It's not exactly pretty in there. I'm not sure who sent those ERCS goons whether it was you or your boss because I have proof that either one of you had motive to order that raid." Zoe shot back.
"I can't say that I blame you for finding a secret I've been trying to bury ever since those two assholes forced themselves on me one night. Luckily those two pump chumps didn't last long enough to do any real damage. They were just smart enough to record it all. That's when I secretly started working for Noverian Internal Affairs. I have been reporting on both Qui'in and Anoleis. Qui'in is relatively clean by Noverian standards. Remember that my bosses only care about keeping their secrets and rooting out corruption. Murder, sexual assault and crimes are not dealt with as severely. May bosses have been dying to take down Anoleis for years but never had enough evidence or anyone to testify against Anoleis. Witnesses against Anoleis usually have a habit of disappearing before trial. If you have a deal with Qui'in for something let's say a garage pass, Qui'in wasn't the only game in town. I just wish that you hadn't written me off so quickly. I am not proud of my past but I am hopeful for my future."
"I could try to convince Qui'in to testify although the evidence I have right now would most certainly cause Anoleis to be fired if you present it to your bosses the right way. I could also turn this stuff over to either Qui'in or Anoleis. Both would give me what I want but I'm a savvy shopper looking for the best deal."
"Go to Qui'in or Anoleis. I'm done selling myself out to advance my career. If my bosses don't like that then I could probably get a job somewhere else. Flux or Chora's Den would be glad to have me back."
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I wanted to know if you were capable of drawing a line and then not crossing it. I'm glad you didn't offer yourself for this info. I will convince Qui'in to testify. If he doesn't, I'm sure that I can leak some of his other videos onto the extranet. Oddly enough, I didn't find anything but those pictures from Qui'in's safe. You'd have to search Anoleis to be one hundred percent sure but I think these are the only copies. Keep me in your loop; I may have something right up your alley if you get sick of dealing with corporate corruption. Let me deal with Qui'in and if I show back up at your office, you can slap those cuffs on Anoleis. Deal?"
"Deal, go convince that sick bastard. Now I have the distinct honor of cleaning up your mess." Gianna wore a smile once again. She unknowingly puffed out her large chest in Shepard's direction. While they were probably very eye catching, those tits couldn't convince the Commander to stray from home. Shepard and her crew made their way from the main floor up to the hotel bar.
"I am pleased with the way you handled Parasini. You could have completely ruined her but you decided not to. You still think there is good in people if they are willing to put in the hard work to change." Liara said before she pulled Zoe into a small alcove and planted a kiss on Zoe's lips.
"I also wish these suits of armor were more flattering and forgiving. My girls need to breathe."
"It must be a hereditary trait that runs in the T'Soni family." Zoe mumbled into Liara's neck.
"It is. We T'Sonis are known for our bountiful breasts. I don't think you'll ever forget that fact but even if you ever do I get the fun job of reminding you." Liara said before she stole another kiss. They heard a not so quiet grunt coming from their krogan counterpart. Both Ashley and Wrex couldn't help but laugh when they saw the two flustered faces of their teammates trying to act natural. That was until Zoe laid eyes on that piece of scum Lorik Qui'in. She motioned for her squad to take defensive positions around the room. There was no telling what would happen when Zoe went to confront Qui'in.
"Ahh Commander, you have returned from my office. I do hope you were able to keep to your word." Qui'in said with a hint of warning.
"If you want anyone to stick to their word then it behooves you to get it in writing. I am also changing the terms of our deal. There will be no deviation from these terms. There will be no renegotiation either. I need you testify against Anoleis. I was contacted by NIA and they want to take him down more than you do. Do this for me or I will leak a certain set of videos to the extranet and every news agency in the galaxy. Your company at the very least will terminate you. Tevos would probably send an Asari hit squad after you if she knew about you and her daughter." Zoe then saw the fear of self preservation in his eyes. She had his cooperation. Qui'in didn't get to where he was by being a complete idiot. He agreed to authentic the evidence he had amassed against the Administrator by testifying against Anoleis.
The next stop was the office of Administrator Anoleis where Gianna Parasini had a huge smile on her face. She ducked into back office and brought out a cuffed but struggling and cursing Anoleis. Wrex accidentally tripped and his fist landed directly into the gut of Anoleis which caused the swearing Salarian to shut up. Gianna thanked the Krogan for shutting up the idiot. She pointed out a small box on her desk which contained a garage pass, Gianna's contact information and an OSD. They finally had what they needed to leave Port Hanshan and not a motion sooner. Zoe's trigger fingers were getting really itchy.
It had been several hours since the Kilimanjaro left the Alliance dock when Miranda was finally able to relax. The XO hadn't been back since but Miranda had a feeling that XO Shepard wouldn't be happy with just one meeting. That thought was pushed to the back of her mind when Miranda unfortunately smelled herself. She smelled of stale sweat and sex. She never got a chance to wash off any trace of her interaction with Zoe. She felt a new feeling that she never came across before. Pure unfiltered embarrassment and shame were two feelings the daughter of Henry Lawson didn't know until that moment.
She needed to change for the better and that started with a hot fresh shower. It was nice to be in the XO's cabin. She wasn't ashamed of her body in the least. Admittedly it did take time to get used to the large cock she had been born with. Hiding it was never easy but she managed to make it this far. She just didn't want her secret to get out amongst the Alliance. They were almost as bad as that bint Khalisah al-Jilani when it came to gossip. Miranda unbuttoned her dress blue jacket and dress shirt. She didn't feel right in that uniform because she never put in the hard work to earn it. Next came the pants. She loved being in her favorite black Asari lace bra and panty set custom made to meet her anatomical needs. As much as she liked wearing those expensive garments, water was not their best friend. She flung the bra onto the small bed. She pushed the panties down. She couldn't help but admire her cock. She might have been born with it but she made it her own. Her bush could do with a small trim.
She entered the bathroom and started the shower. It was an Alliance ship that wasn't custom built which meant that she was in for a lukewarm shower that lasted no longer than seven minutes. Prioritizing was key. As soon as the water hit her, she began scrubbing herself with an actual bar of soap. Miranda let her mind wander back to her encounter with Zoe. There was just something about her that drew in the former Cerberus operative. Anybody could claim that it was the sex that drew Miranda in but Miranda felt at home for the first time ever being around Zoe and Liara. She wasn't as sure when it came to Williams or that Quarian but only time will tell. She was driven back to reality when the shower abruptly shut off when there was still soap all over her body. She then heard a voice she wasn't expecting.
"I should have warned you about the shower. It's been acting up for the better part of a month and I haven't had the time to fill out a maintenance work order for it yet." Hannah Shepard walked into the bathroom and caught an eye full of the beautiful woman in her shower sporting a huge erection. "Now there is something you don't see everyday." She said with saucy smirk. Hannah also felt something she hadn't felt in years. She felt desire again. Hannah might have been facing the feelings of lust and desire, Miranda on the other hand still felt that she had the weight of a galaxy resting upon her shoulders.
"Are you going to keep standing there staring at me? I would say you were undressing me with your eyes but I already naked." Miranda almost sounded like a petulant child.
"I just came off of a twelve hour shift. I have also agreed to give you shelter and safe passage to your destination. I believe that you are rather stressed out right now but bottling it up is never the solution. You will just explode later. You seem to be on the verge of breaking down. You share a lot in common with my daughter's personality. I know you and my daughter were intimate. She still wears that god awful perfume from time to time. During her teenage years, it seemed like she bathed in that stuff. It's not a smell a mother forgets. She is her mother's daughter. We both try to help others out even when we may be falling apart inside." Hannah said before she took of her Alliance jacket.
She opened up her small closet and hung up the jacket. Miranda could see that Zoe followed in her mother's large footsteps. Hannah's chest was straining against two layers of fabric. The fabric was barely winning. Miranda tried to avoid her attraction to the older woman but she was made from her father's genes. If Hannah took off anything else, no amount of duct tape could restrain her cock from standing tall. The ship was in its night cycle while en route to Thessia and ran with only essential staff on duty. Hannah didn't like sleeping alone but had gotten used to it ever since the most important person in the world to her died. Hannah was unconsciously taking off the rest of her clothes. She was oblivious to what her actions did to Miranda until the cool air of her cabin made her nipples quite stiff. She opened her eyes to see Miranda at full attention and almost drooling.
"I am going against my better judgment here but I want you right now and I'm inviting you into my bed. It's been quite awhile but I need to scratch that itch that won't go away if I scratch myself." Hannah stepped towards Miranda.
Breasts and nipples touched and teased each other as the two women embraced one other. Hannah was a few inches taller than Miranda which worked in their favor. Miri's cock caused the most pleasurable friction against the velvet folds with auburn curtains. While friction was good right now, it could lead to unpleasant pain later. Miranda slowly dropped down to her knees while her hands groped Hannah on their way down. Miri was a master of foreplay and knew how to please even the trickiest and pickiest of women. She laid wet kisses all around the auburn bush and strong muscular inner thighs of the XO but never attacked the castle. The trick was to get the queen to come out of her castle first.
Miranda had just laid eyes on the cute little queen when she heard the door open. She had her back to the door and her face was inches from a wet velvety pussy. Miri didn't distract easily when she heard Hannah take charge.
"In or out Ensign but ever mention this to anyone and you will wish you were in the brig." Hannah quietly barked out at her subordinate. The ensign quickly walked inside the crowded cabin. She then closed and locked the door. "I'm sorry for snapping at you Ensign. I forgot to lock the door when something big came up." That big something was dripping pre cum on to the floor. "Now Kelly, I want nothing but the truth about why you came to my quarters. You would be sleeping with the rest of the day crew after a long shift. Miranda, keep it up. It feels so wonderful."
"I wanted to talk to Miss Lawson. I hoped that I could seduce her. I was enamored with her as soon as my eyes looked upon her." Kelly's piercing green eyes seemed to be drilling holes into the floor.
"I appreciate your honesty Miss Chambers but I'm afraid that you will face the consequences for your actions." Hannah gently pushed Miranda's head away from her wet pussy. Hannah then helped Miranda stand up again. Hannah then went digging through her foot locker and pulled out a red nylon bag. She pulled a coiled bit of climbing rope out from the bag and unraveled it. "Miranda, would you relieve the prisoner of her clothing while I set up here?" Miranda nodded.
Young Kelly stood frozen in place as the beautiful busty brunette with the big bouncing cock started undressing her. The redheaded spitfire didn't measure up to either Hannah or Miranda but she had one talent that the others did not. Kelly was a former world champion gymnast in her high school days. She was also a true devotee to yoga. Kelly was unbelievably flexible. She didn't expect Miranda to be this gentle. Before she knew it Kelly was just as naked at the two other women.
"Why is it that youth cannot appreciate the beauty of a fully grown woman? Why must they shave away what God put there in the first place? Bring her over here my dear." Hannah had the rope wrapped around a pipe traversing the room above them. The two rope ends were hanging down with both ends ending in small nooses. If Kelly were to struggle to get free the ropes would only get tighter. Miranda escorted the redhead over to the makeshift restrain system. Hannah took each one of Kelly's hands and slipped them through the noose ends and pulled the ropes taut but not painfully tight. Her arms were fully spread out from her body.
"I'm not sure if I want you blindfolded or not. These walls aren't super thin but during this time of night noises are heard easier. I can be rather vocal in my lovemaking which you interrupted and now you must pay the price." Hannah said before she kindly pushed Miranda onto the bed. Hannah climbed on top of her new lover. She didn't immediately slip that large cock in her wet folds. She shifted her hips back and forth which rubbed her wet pussy against the stiff member. Miranda didn't want to just sit there. She glided one of Hannah's large breasts up to her hungry lips. Sounds of sucking, licking, nibbling and biting to be heard if one listened close enough.
This was torture for Kelly. Two of the most attractive women in the world were having sex in front of her and she couldn't touch herself to relieve her desire. It felt like her pussy was on fire. She tried rubbing her legs together, scissoring them back and forth but no relief would come. The commander always did come up with the most unique punishments. She saw the look of ecstasy when Hannah took that pleasurable plunge. Hannah had never felt so full before. She had used various toys and harnesses with her past girlfriends but there was nothing that could compete with a hot blooded fully rigid fleshy cock. It took over two minutes for her honey pot to adjust to Miranda's stretching size.
Hannah had to her hands on either side of Miranda's taut stomach while she plunged up and down. Miranda's hand left Hannah's breast and travelled south to play with the comingling red and black hair when she spotted Hannah's little queen sticking out of her castle. Miri couldn't resist giving it a flick. Hannah shuddered as waves of pleasure crashed over her entire body.
Hannah already had several smaller orgasms but she could feel that the big one was on the way. Miranda could sense that when Hannah sped up her riding while Miri poked, pulled, tickled, and teased Hannah's tits. Moaning and grunting grew louder and louder. Juice coated Hannah's inner thighs and Miranda's big black bush. Her long shaft shined with wetness. Miranda felt a constriction from her balls. She quickly put her hands on Hannah's shoulders. She pushed Hannah down all the way to the hilt of her cock just before her cock blasted rope after hot sticky rope of cum. Miri's orgasm triggered Hannah's orgasm. A mixture of juice and cum gushed out of the battered pussy. Hannah collapsed on top of Miranda.
Was it a compliment if you shag your partner into unconsciousness? Miranda removed her softened cock out from Hannah. She had all but forgotten they had just put on a show to any audience of one until she heard Kelly moaning in pleasure. Somehow, Kelly had been able to gain access to Hannah's foot locker nearby. She had pulled out a dildo which she attached to the wall all while still being tied up. The sight and determination of the younger woman turned Miranda on. She was ready for round two. She climbed up and over an unconscious Hannah and walked over to Kelly. Said ensign was quite wrapped up in plundering her own pussy that she didn't see the beautiful woman in front of her until Miranda planted a kiss on Kelly's lips. The perky redhead quickly found her footing again and returned Miranda's kiss. Their tongues could be called two little fencers battling for superiority. Miranda pulled Kelly away from the wall. The dildo made a slick plopping sound as it fell out from Kelly's very wet pussy.
Miranda whispered into Kelly's ear, "I am sure that you would prefer the hotter longer thicker version of anything you could have found in Hannah's foot locker." She felt Kelly shiver as she spoke. She had one hand on her cock and was rubbing the head against Kelly's wet swollen folds.
"Pretty please with vanilla frosting, rainbow sprinkles and a cherry on top?" Kelly replid.
"Oh aren't you adorable." Miranda said before she roughly inserted her cock into Kelly's folds. She drove past a barrier that she didn't expect to be there. Then she remembered Kelly said cherry. She took Kelly's virginity and it made her feel uneasy. Did Kelly really want to give herself away to me? It was Kelly who brought Miranda back to reality when Kelly locked her legs around Miranda's perfectly sculpted ass and pulled Miranda in as close as she could come. Miranda was surprised with Kelly's flexibility. She was suspended in mid air by the ropes and Miranda's body.
"Ten years of gymnastics with my specialty being the overhead rings makes this position a walk in the park. Now give it to me Miranda. Punish me! Fuck me hard." Kelly was growling by the time she stopped speaking.
Miranda didn't need to be told twice. She withdrew her shaft up to the head of her cock. She looked down and saw a smear of blood on her shaft. She paid it no mind before she drove it right back up into Kelly. Miranda saw Kelly's pair of pale blue panties on a small table next to them. She picked up the panties which were rather wet. She balled the panties up and stuck the makeshift gag into Kelly's mouth. Miranda's slave was done talking. Kelly groaned as she inhaled the scent of her own pussy. She took the assault from Miranda's battering ram well. It hit every single one of her sweet spots. Neither woman had much resistance or stamina left. Even with her biotics enhancing her body's threshold, Miranda had sex with three women in the past twelve hours and she was starting to feel it. Both women let out loud moans as they both came at the same time.
Miranda pulled out from Kelly. She could see her cum dribbling down Kelly's legs. It would have turned her on if she had any gas left in her tank. She untied Kelly and caught the redhead before she fell to the ground. She helped the nearly unconscious Kelly to the small bed where she tucked both Hannah and Kelly in. She had a large smile on her face but needed another shower. Twenty minutes later Miranda crashed on small couch next to the cabin door. Sleep would could eventually but she was still riding an orgasmic high. One thing that didn't cross Miranda's mind was one of her father's obsessions with creating her in his image. He wanted to compensate for something he was unable to do naturally. Nobody thought to use any sort of protection. Only time would tell if there were reactions from their actions.
Zoe and her crew had just entered the Port Hanshan garage when a red bolt of energy came out of nowhere. Zoe barely dodged it as she yelled out, "IT'S A TRAP! Take cover!" Two Geth Destroyer units and four Geth hoppers had attacked as soon as the door opened. Everybody but Wrex dove into cover. Wrex charged at the two destroyers while he brought out and primed his shotgun. The speed of Wrex's charge when he collided with the destroyer sent the synthetic warrior flailing to the ground. Wrex pulled the trigger and blasted a huge hole into the Geth's chest. The second destroyer unit tried to flank Wrex but a shot rang out Wrex saw the destroyer's head explode.
Zoe and Liara quickly dealt with the hoppers with well placed shots. They heard a voice they didn't expect to hear.
"What is going on here Commander? First, I had to clean up the ten dead bodies of my team and now you are shooting up the garage." Captain Matsuo asked.
Zoe was pissed."Either you are corruptible or you are severely incompetent. We were just ambushed by geth soldiers as you can clearly see. As to your men, they seemed to be following the orders of your second in command. Anoleis was trying to oust Qui'in from his job and sent your men to procure the evidence against Anoleis or plant incriminating evidence on Qui'in. Either way, they shouldn't have been there. They didn't leave and they shot first. If Stirling was controlling your men against your orders then I just cleaned up a mess you didn't know existed. I believe those geth were in the shipping containers that came with the Asari Matriarch. They were probably inactive otherwise your scanners would have picked up something. That is assuming that they were ever on or properly calibrated. Now, I will leave you with another mess as my team and I take that Mako tank and make our way to the research lab on Peak 15."
She saw her team making their way towards the tank as she was reading Matsuo the riot act for her serious lack of control over her subordinates. Zoe heard somebody power up the Mako. She holstered her sidearm and walked away from the stunned Matsuo. Apparently Zoe could be rather frightening when she went off on one of her rants. Maybe it wouldn't have been as bad if she wasn't pointing a gun at Matsuo's head but Matsuo started asking questions before they could truly say the scene was secure. Matsuo was dead lucky Zoe didn't put a hole in her head.
Zoe tried to push Matsuo's incompetence out of her mind as he climbed into the Mako She saw Ashley sitting in the driver's seat. A comforting hand reached out and captured the worried Spectre's hand. Agitated green eyes met those calming blue pools. Zoe's stress leveled off as Liara gently but forcefully made Zoe next to her. She whispered that Zoe wasn't in the right mindset to be driving angrily through a blizzard. When it crossed Zoe's mind, she had to agree with Liara. Ashley was usually the calmest when it came to battle situations. It must have been all of her sniper training that plus she was the oldest of four girls. Patience was a gift Ash was blessed with. Wrex manned the weapons systems.
The storm was in full blow as the Mako left the garage. The terrain was its normal bumpy as hell self. The suspension did its best to cushion the blows but there was only so much the suspension could do. The Mako's radar picked up on a geth turret and a handful of geth troopers. Wrex fired the cannon at the turret first which caused a massive fireball as the turret exploded. The machine guns picked off the geth troopers as Ash drove the Mako down the road when the radar picked up the signature of a Geth Armature and a Geth Juggernaut unit in the distance before the signal was jammed by interference. The Mako's targeting computer had already locked onto the two enemies before the signal jammed. Wrex peppered the Armature with the machine guns getting the unit's shields to drop before he fired the main gun. The shell blew the Armature to smithereens. The rest of the journey had a few more geth turrets which were no match for the Mako and its weapons system.
Ash pulled up to a garage door which wouldn't open up automatically. The team exited the Mako and quickly ran into the garage through the unlocked side door. The temperature must have dropped another ten or twenty degrees. Zoe could hear her teeth chattering in her own mouth. The team made sure they had their weapons out this time. They were fired upon once again but this time they were against a Geth Juggernaut with its own repair droid and three krogan warriors. Zoe took down the repair droid first while Ash and Liara worked to bring down the Juggernaut's shields. Wrex single handedly took down the three korgan. He claimed that they weren't real krogan because he was able to kill them so easily. They made their way up a few ramps and doors when they faced another round of geth troopers. The geth were quickly dealt with when they heard a high pitched squeal coming from below the floors.
Two fast moving tan four legged creatures with razor sharp tentacle like appendages stormed out of the ventilation system. They set their sights on those hideous creatures and opened fire. One took the brunt of the bullets while the other was able to spit out some sort of corrosive substance before Ash lodged a bullet between its eyes.
"This shouldn't be possible. These creatures shouldn't exist. They smell exactly like our old enemy. Somehow in some way somebody for some unknown reason brought the Rachni back to life." Wrex said as he holstered his shotgun.
"Rachni? You sure?" Zoe asked.
Wrex replied, "Without a doubt in my mind." Wrex said as they walked into what looked like the central part of the facility.
"USER ALERT! In accordance with emergency containment protocol, the main reactor has been deactivated; communications are offline, and shuttle service to the rift station laboratories are suspended until further notice. Station is currently in low power mode." A synthetic voice recording played on a loop over the PA system.
"When will people learn that playing around with extinct creatures never turns out for the best? Then again the council was never the smartest bunch of people just the most popular. The Rachni were a powerful race that grew out of control. The Krogan race shares this same fate but just on a much slower timetable." Wrex found himself caught in a train of thought that was unheard of by a krogan.
"That was incredibly profound Wrex. You are not like any other Krogan I have come across. Granted, the only others I have come across were those under Saren's control." Ashley said as she walked over to the two legged tank. The lights flickered back up to full power as Ash saw Zoe step back from a power junction box.
"You fight like a Krogan Williams and have the heart of a true krogan. Most people and a few krogans would have crumbled after losing their squad mates in ambush but you persevered long enough for help to arrive. I would gladly fight by your side if you ever needed another gun." Ash was too stunned for words. She finally mustered up a grateful head nod. She caught Zoe and Liara walking back towards them.
Shepard spoke first. "I have fixed the VI Core for this area of the station. There are a few options for what happens next. The VI told me that the backup generators are nearly out of power. The first thing we need to do is get the main reactor running again. I am undecided whether or not to restore communications. We don't know if communications were shut off deliberately or knocked off line due to the storm. If we reactive the comms, they will know something is up and any chance of surprising them will be gone."
"Logically speaking, you would also lose the element of surprise the minute the shuttle pulls into the rift station terminal. Benezia will be in the safest part of the rift station and anybody between us and her will probably report back to her." Liara chimed in.
"Good it's always better to go in guns a blazing than trying to sneak through the shadows." Wrex said.
"Spoken like a true Krogan huh Wrex?" Zoe shot back with a smirk which caused Wrex to bark out a laugh.
The group decided then to just restore the main reactor. Through an unlocked door and a quick elevator ride, they arrived at the entrance to the reactor core when their battlefield radar was instantly jammed. They now knew that they were about to meet some Geth. Liara and Zoe entered from the right while Ash and Wrex went left. Zoe changed her ammo from shredder rounds to those shield draining phastic rounds on her assault rifle. She was glad she did when they were facing down a Geth Juggernaut who attacked them from behind in an elevated position. Liara quickly threw up a barrier that encompassed both her and Zoe. Zoe quickly dealt the Juggernaut the ace of spades as her precise grouping took off the juggernaut's head. They met Wrex and Ash in the middle of the walkway where a few moments later Ash had the reactor up and running again.
Another quick elevator ride back up to the main entrance and one dead rachni soldier later, the squad boarded the glass shuttle. Zoe bypassed the lock-down status of the shuttle. Apparently, normal operation required communications to be up. It must have been a safety feature in case of the shuttle broke down between stations. The short ride felt like it took a day Zoe thought. At least there wasn't any terrible Muzak playing over the speakers. The shuttle arrived at the rift station. Each member had their weapon ready for whatever came their way. They walked through several unlocked doors on a gangway until they ran into a group of armed guards.
"They're not rachni." The leader announced. He was wearing the same type of armor the rest of the Port Hanshan security guards were adorned in. "You are not Rachni but you are also not authorized to be here. Explain yourself or my men will cut you down. I am Captain Ventralis from Elanus Risk. My men and I were contracted out by some high ranking big shot from Binary Helix. We were called upon to be extra security."
"The name is Shepard. I am in pursuit of a suspect whose boss betrayed the Citadel Council. She is wanted for questioning. My hope is to bring her in without resorting to violence. That was before we ran into the rachni. Do you have any idea why an extinct creature is back from the dead?"
"I would gladly tell you if I could but we were sworn to secrecy under a thousand pages of non disclosure agreements not to mention the fact that my boss promised a round between the eyes if anybody leaked out any information. If you want information, I suggest you speak to the Chief Medical officer; he was a last minute replacement when the first one was killed a few days into his time here. Dr. Cohen didn't face quite the screening process or the paperwork. I…" Ventralis was cut off by a loud high pitched squeal. Two rachni warriors popped out of one of the floor ventilation grates. A hellfire storm of flying bullets slammed into the two bugs. Green slime oozed out from multiple bullet holes.
"You have my permission to pass on through as long as you don't cause any more trouble. Doctor Cohen is good but he can't handle more than a few injured people at a time. Keep your guns holstered or shoot to kill. Medi-Gel is in very short supply here." Ventrailis said.
Zoe and her crew holstered their weapons before they passed through the thrown together security checkpoint. A long corridor opened into a large room with passageways leading off in several different directions. Illuminated signs above the doorways told what lay beyond the closed doors. A big red cross probably meant that the medical bay lay beyond.
Love, do you see that asari just near the door to the medical wing?
Yes, I do. Is there a reason you are pointing her out?
That is Alestia Iallis. She was part of my mother's personal guard until my mother disbanded the guard. She was a devote follower of my mother. That devotion bordered on the line of obsession. She is also a legendary Asari Commando. She had no real purpose here. Something tells me, we will be running into her and hopefully killing her before she has the chance to get us.
It's a good thing you have that incredible memory of yours. I went up against an asari commando once and it taught me something. Where there is one, there are at least five more hidden in the there any chance she would recognize you?
I don't think so. My mother kept me quite isolated but I was able to eavesdrop upon a few of their meetings in my youth. The rest of her bio I learned from research. Thank you for caring for my safety. She looks to be meditating. I assume you want me and Ashley to speak to Dr. Cohen?
Been reading my mind again Liara?
They both shared a mental laugh. "Ash, Liara, would you two go talk to this Dr. Cohen and find out what is going on here? That elcor over there looks like he has a little shop set up. I am low on ammo and hoped I could persuade him to sell me some of his." She saw Ash and Liara nod affirmatively before they left for the Med-bay. Zoe and Wrex sauntered over to the Elcor.
"Saddened welcome. Hello human, krogan I am Petozi. My limited supplies are for the Captain and his men only." The elcor spoke as Zoe and Wrex approached him.
"I was hoping that you had any surplus or unique items that we be able to barter a trade deal. I have come across a lot of extra gear that seems to be weighing me down and some of it has quite the resale value." Zoe said as she layered on the charm a little bit.
"Genuine surprise, you have proposed quite an interesting idea. Have a look through my supplies." The elcor said as he brought up a holographic interface in front of Zoe. She scrolled through the list and most of it was cheap weapons, upgrades, and standard ammo until her eyes came across something called Sleepshots.
"Could you tell me about the Sleetshots?"
"Begrudging response. The Sleepshots is a tranquilizer dart prototype. These rounds can only be used by pistols and at close range. The dart contains a slow acting dose of a sleeping solution. They are still in final testing phases over at Armax Arsenal. Due to the item's rarity, the cost would be extremely expensive. However, I have a contact on Omega who is in desperate need of high explosive rounds and high impact grenades. She claimed to pay me a king's ransom for anything I was able to acquire."
"Will you take all of my high explosive rounds and high impact grenades for all of your Sleepshots rounds?" Zoe inquired.
"Satisfied response. We have reached an accord." Zoe handed over the rounds and grenade while Petozi unlocked a heavily secured ammo cache. The elcor handed the tranq darts over to Zoe when Zoe's radio chirped in her ear.
"Ash to Skipper, come in?" Zoe thanked the elcor merchant as she stored away her new ammo.
"Go ahead Ash." Zoe radioed back.
"Skipper, we aren't making any headway with Dr. Cohen. He is refusing to talk to anybody but and I quote 'the Spectre'. Can you get here quickly before I crush his windpipe?"
"I'm in route." She radioed back. She looked at Wrex. "Keep an eye open. Something does feel right here." Zoe said before she headed off to the medical station. The medical station was down several flights of stairs. She entered to find several people receiveing treatment for some unknown ailment. She could see Liara and Ash talking to a man she assumed was Dr. Cohen. He was a man of average height in his late forties or early fifties. They stepped out of the room while Zoe walked towards Cohen.
"What has to be so important that you couldn't tell my either one of my teammates? Since you all but demanded to speak with the Spectre, I have come out of my way. Lay it on me." Zoe said as she tried to reign in her growing contempt for the games corporations played.
"The reason I requested your audience was because you have a direct line to the Citadel Council. They need to hear about what has been going on here. I need protection from the people at Binary Helix which only the Council can legally approve. I have proof that BH was developing illegal bio-toxins." Dr. Cohen explained.
"I don't believe him Shepard. My gut is telling me that he is holding back information." Ash radioed over the comm.
Ashley is correct. Cohen might have some training in paramedics but he is Binary Helix's main microbiologist. He even has a profile on the company's extranet site. If anyone is developing bio-toxins it is him and Iallis. While Alestia is a fully trained commando, she is also a molecular geneticist. My mother was quite impressed with her résumé.
"The Council wouldn't hear your case Dr. Cohen because I don't find you credible. Secondly, I have a hunch that you or that geneticist is behind the creation of these bio-toxins. You probably got in over your head and now want immunity by turning in your co-workers. I have half a mind to shoot you right now but…" Zoe didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. In the blink of an eye, Dr. Cohen lunged at Zoe with a scalpel in his hand. A nanosecond later, a pistol shot rang out in the small medical bay. Liara was standing in the doorway with her pistol pointing downward. A blood stain grew out from the center of Dr. Cohen's jumpsuit.
"I would thank you for saving my life but I don't think that scalpel would have done any damage other than a few scratches. Then again, this is new armor and it didn't come cheap. So all in all I owe you a drink Li." Zoe said as she walked over to Liara and gave the beautiful lady a hug. Liara couldn't resist a compliment from Zoe. Even through her armor, Zoe could feel Liara's excitement. Zoe whispered, "I'll properly take care of that later Li."
"Skipper, I found an access card to the maintenance area. According to the digital map layout, we can use the maintenance area to bypass the security around the quarantine area." Ashley said as she held up a keycard.
"We were right about Cohen and the team here. They were developing a neurotoxin that would have worked on the Rachni. They had hopes that this Thoros-B could have been enhanced so that it could be used to kill any species. It was based off of Rachni venom." Liara said as she logged off of Dr. Cohen's computer.
"There has to be a massive fail-safe. The people in charge of Binary Helix wouldn't risk bringing something that could breed at an uncontrollable rate." Zoe said.
"I saw a mention of something called a neutron purge in Cohen's notes. He was worried that his work would have been discovered. He was contemplating setting off the device remotely. The device is located below the hot labs and right now can only be armed manually right now." Liara said.
"Wrex to Shepard. The asari is awake and on the move. I think she knows something is up. If she isn't already armed, she will be soon."
Zoe radioed back "Wrex, the rally point is the door to the maintenance area. You have my permission to clear us a path. Feel free to go weapons free."
"With pleasure, it's about time you scratched my back Shepard." The radio cut out after that.
"Ash, I bought these tranquilizer rounds for your pistol from the Elcor merchant in the main room. I want you to use the built in cloaking system on your armor. It lasts about thirty seconds on a full charge. I want you to take down Benezia with one or two rounds. I want to gift wrap her for the Council unless she can convince me otherwise she will either be executed or imprisoned. Hopefully, Liara, Wrex and I can create a distraction long enough for you to get in position for a clear shot." Zoe explained as she turned over the tranquilizer rounds
"Copy that Skipper."
Zoe swiped Cohen's access card through the card reader next to the door. The door unlocked and then opened by itself. The area beyond the door appeared to be a passageway built into the mountain. They were met with the high pitched squeal of two rachni warriors. Liara and Wrex flared their biotics. Liara encased one warrior with a singularity while Wrex blasted the other with an overpowered throw. The rachni solder was thrown back into the jagged wall. It does quickly after being impaled on the wall. Zoe, Ash and Liara put more holes into the remaining soldier than the most expensive wedge of Swiss cheese.
They saw the sign above the door to the main laboratory. It had higher security measures than anything they had encountered before. Zoe on the other hand had seen this type of security before and she knew exactly how to exploit it. She removed her armored gloves and holstered her weapon before she pulled out her combat knife. She used the tip of the knife as a makeshift screwdriver. She removed the security interface panel in less than a minute. She cut the two wires that sent power to the door lock which meant that that heavy door would have to be opened manually. That would have been a hard task unless one has a Krogan on their team. Zoe told Wrex to slowly open the door as she put on her gloves again and took out her shotgun.
As soon as Wrex silently cracked open the door, the squad could hear a female muttering to herself. This female sounded rather unhinged. They could barely make out what she was saying. Liara said it was an ancient Asari dialect which their built in translators only caught a few words. Zoe signaled to Ash to engage her suit's cloaking device. Ash pulled out her pistol before she disappeared from sight. Wrex finally got the door fully open but the down side was that since the door had no power Wrex had to keep the door open by himself. Otherwise the door would have slammed shut as soon as Wrex let go.
Zoe radioed Ash if she was in position. The Gunny radioed back that she was in position and waiting for orders. Ash also mentioned that Benezia seemed to be very agitated and arguing with herself. Zoe hand signaled Liara and Wrex to form up behind her just on the other side of the door. The team was surprised when Benezia turned towards them
"Little Wing, Shepard, I need your help. His pull is too strong and I can only fight him off for so long. My resistance is almost gone. Please kill me." Benezia said before she fired of a high powered warp directly for Zoe's head. A double shot rang out as Ash put two tranquilizer rounds in the back of Benezia. As soon as Benezia's unconscious body hit the floor, every door to the large hanger opened up. Two Asari Commando squads followed by two geth squads rushed into the room. Zoe heard two loud blasts from the ceiling somewhere and then saw two commandos heads explode.
Wrex charged out from where he had taken cover. He trained his shotgun on a rocket trooper who had Ashley in the unit's crosshairs. The geth unit didn't sense Wrex coming until it was too late. Wrex used the butt of his Claymore shotgun to dislodge the rocket launcher from the Geth before Wrex savagely separated the geth's head from the rest of its body. His hands were coated in silver synthetic blood as he took aim at a geth shock trooper. A booming explosion echoed around the cavernous room as a high explosive round left Wrex's shotgun The target was engulfed in a huge ball of fire. Wrex heard the distinct war cry of Ash's sniper rifle as she dropped two more Asari commando.
The remaining Commandos and geth units started to realize that there was little to no chance in defeating or subduing the well trained squad that was under Zoe's command. Liara saw the remaining opposition trained their weapons upon the fallen Asari matriarch. She couldn't let those vile excuses for bodyguards put one hole let alone scores and scores of bullet holes. She charged up her biotics and shot a biotic dome out from her hand that encapsulated her unconscious mother. The shield was quite a drain on her biotics but wave after wave of bullets ricocheted off of her shield. Zoe, Ash and Wrex took care of the remaining fighters. Liara dropped her shield as soon as she saw the last fighter killed.
Liara and Zoe ran over to check on Benezia while Ash could be heard climbing down from her elevated position. Nobody was watching Wrex muttering to himself as he was quickly typing on a control console next to a containment cell holding a very, very large rachni. Klaxon alarms rang out then a high pitched whine emanated from the containment cell. After thirty seconds, there was nothing left of the large rachni except for a large pool of bodily remains.
"What the hell Wrex? Since when did you take over my job? I am genuinely not a fan of genocide. There are always other avenues for problem solving." Zoe said as she pulled out her shotgun and aimed it in Wrex's general direction.
"Trust me on this Shepard, the only good rachni is a dead rachni. You have no idea how bad the Rachni wars were. Those bastards were one hundred times more vicious than the geth. Those morons at Binary Helix thought they can play god and try to tame a Rachni breeding machine? Trust me Shepard, the council will thank you for dealing with this issue before it becomes a problem." Wrex grumbled back at Zoe.
"We shall see Wrex. Can you be gentle and carry Benezia back to the tram station? It is right through that door. Liara, I want you to go with him. Ash and I have a date for the station wide pest extermination in the hot labs." Zoe said as she pointed a door on the far side of the room. Liara nodded as she saw Wrex gently picked up the unconscious Asari. Zoe and Ash took point as they led the crew back to the rift tram station. Wrex gently put Benezia down onto the bench. He saw Zoe and Ash load into the small Hot Labs elevator. They both bore their Spectre assault rifles. Wrex could hear Zoe say to Ash that there would be no communication until they returned to the tram station. It was an agonizing fifteen minutes later, he saw the two warriors exit the small elevator covered head to toe in toxic green rachni goo.
"We have to go now! The neutron bomb was a lot larger than Cohen expected. We need to get back across the tram line before the blast takes out the rails." Zoe shouted as she and Ash ran to the tram car. Something was wrong with the tram car. Someone or something had disabled the tram's power system. Zoe knew that she had to fix the tram somehow. She pulled open the electrical panel next to the main control panel. Out popped a little green baby rachni which Zoe hurled across the tram station. The little bastard had exploded on impact. Luckily for Zoe, the little guy hadn't chewed or cut through too many wires. She fished out her trusty wiring kit and quickly replaced the damaged wires. Power to the tram had been quickly restored. Her team had loaded up into the tram while she worked fixing the wiring issue. Zoe stood back up and powered up the tram. She looked down at her watch. She had just five minutes until the bomb when off. The tram made it across the valley between the two stations in under a minute. They made it back to the garage when they could hear a massive explosion which called the ground to doth quake.
There wasn't anything that needed to be said as they drove back to Port Hanshan. Zoe had radioed the Normandy and told Joker to begin preflight preparations. She also requested that Dr. Chakwas meet the team in the garage and to bring the Normandy's portable Hazmat-Isolation Chamber with her. Joker said that the Normandy would be ready to depart in a half an hour. Zoe then messaged Gianna Parasini to allow Chakwas through security with no hassles from those dunderhead guards. Parasini messaged back that Karen wouldn't have any problems and that Gianna would personally escort her to the garage.
Ashley drove the Mako up into the Port Hanshan garage. Zoe could see the good doctor standing there with no escort. That didn't wasn't what Parasini had agreed to do. Ashley pulled up right alongside Dr. Chakwas. Karen was prepping the isolation pod. Wrex was the first one out of the Mako. He carefully placed Benezia into the pod. Karen then punched a few buttons on the digital interface. The pod sealed itself and the clear glass window became instantly opaque. By the time the pod was fully ready for transport, the rest of the team had prepped the Mako for automatic recovery mode. Ashley volunteered to stay with the Mako during the process. Zoe gave the order for the rest of the team to head back to the ship.
Zoe wished that there was a less conspicuous way of transporting any from the garage bay to the docking bay. Where the hell was Parasini? She was supposed to be escorting Karen. They made their way from the garage to the docking bay in less than five minutes. Karen had two of the Normandy's marines escort the isolation pod down to the Medbay. Joker informed Zoe that the Citadel Council has called earlier. Apparently somebody on Port Hanshan or Peak 15 informed the Council about her visit. She needed to speak privately with Councilor Tevos but she couldn't stand Sparactus's sanctimonious attitude. Tevos was the only one who could clear the Normandy to enter Asari airspace. Zoe told Joker to link up to the Council and send it through to the Comm room. She then told Joker to radio Ash and tell her to hold on a little bit longer while she yelled at the Council.
Zoe quickly made her way to the comm room and waited for Joker to transfer the Council's signal over. She was trying to get her thoughts in order when she heard that condescending prick's voice over the room's speaker system.
"What was your reasoning when you set off a nuclear explosion that completely annihilated Binary Helix's main research facility. We have been inundated with reports stating that the facility was destroyed." Councilor Sparactus apt out not even trying to hide his contempt. His disdain for humans was even visible on his holographic face.
"Councilors, I have just got back aboard my ship. I haven't had the time to file a full report yet. However, I will gladly give you the main points of my actions regarding the destruction of the Peak 15 facility." Zoe replied back peacefully.
Councilor Tevos cut off Sparactus before he built up another rant. "We called this meeting. Yelling for answers will not get us what we want any quicker. Commander, please tell us what happened. We will wait for the full report but we do need a few answers right now. The floor is now yours"
"Thank you Councilor. We received confirmed information that Lady Benezia T'Soni was spotted on Noveria. We arrived three days after she did. She had brought crates of Geth with her. We had to fight through a few squads of their foot soldiers on our way from Port Hanshan to the Peak 15 facility. The facility was in disrepair. Upon entering the facility we were greeted by a group of tiny green unknown biological entities. They attacked without any provocation and very extremely vicious. The containment protocols to whatever experiment these scientists were working on was clearly breached. Our codecs wouldn't identify these creatures but Urdnot Wrex Krogan on my squad claimed that these entities smelled very familiar." Zoe explained as she kept her anger in check.
Councilor Valern inquired "Did your Krogan counterpart elaborate on his suspicions?"
"He remained silent for the moment. We fought through any hostile resistance and made repairs to to the Peak 15 facility. The VI named Mira informed us that containment protocols had been violated. We were then introduced to larger more lethal versions of the entities. These creatures wee ones that our codecs could identity. Councilors, we found Rachni running amuck throughout the facility. That was the reason why I activated the station's last safeguard."
There was a few moments where Zoe could hear the Normandy disenageging the docking clamps. She got a message on her omni-tool from Joker. He told her that they needed to pick up the Mako right now. The storm was intensifying. They ran the risk of losing As and the Mako if they didn't act soon. She messaged back it was ok and to await further orders.
"Rachni? You are positive? What of Lady Benezia?" Tevos asked very nervously.
"My full report will have both video and DNA proof of my claims but yes Councilors my team and I found Rachni on Noveria. Apparently Binary Helix acquired an egg of a Rachni queen on a derelict ship near the mass relay to the Rachni home world. One Dr. Zev Cohen was the lead researcher on the project. Their goal was either to synthesize a toxic biological agent from the Rachni venom or at the very least raise an army of Rachni soldiers for Saren's force. We were there when Lady Benezia committed suicide as a last show of defiance against Saren. We were able to recover Benezia's body. Councilor, I am requesting permission to enter Asari airspace to bring Benezia home. Her daughter wishes to bury her mother on the T'Soni estate." Zoe petitioned Councilor Tevos.
"You have given us a lot to digest Commander. Unofficially I believe that you did the right thing in destroying that research facility however we will make an official judgment after we have reviewed your final report and evidence. Regarding your request, I am granting you access into Asari air space. I appreciate you having the respect to ask permission when you could have used the Normandy's stealth systems to sneak in and out. Lady Benezia was a very popular and very powerful Matriarch but her joining forces with Saren created quite the scandal. It is in the best interests of the Asari if Benezia is laid to rest peacefully and quietly. If you don't have anything else to report Commander, I am calling this meeting to a close." The signal from the Citadel cut out rather abruptly.
Zoe exited the comm. room and walked up to the galaxy map. "Joker, our next port of call is The T'Soni Estate located in Armali on Thessia. I hope you packed a bathing suit and sun block." She said with a smirk.