Chapter 4: Therum
After the Normandy finished getting its supplies loaded on, the ship left its docking station on the Citadel and took off. Ben, not having much else to do, decided to go down to the crew deck and do some more reading. Taking a seat at the mess hall table, Ben opened up his Omni-tool, which he uploaded the real history of this galaxy onto, and opened up a point known as the "Rachni Wars." As he read, the shape-shifting hero learned that the whole conflict was the result of an accidental discovery by a Salarian exploration team when they activated a dormant Mass Relay and came across the insect-like species known as the Rachni. The bugs were remarkably intelligent, as they were able to reverse-engineer the captured explorers' ships and engines, enabling them to take to the stars.
Looks like those bugs were more than met the eye, Ben thought as he continued reading. As he continued reading, he learned that the Council had tried to negotiate with the advancing insects, but their attempts were futile since their queens never left their home world and lived deep underground. It also didn't help that their home planet had unbearable conditions like a toxic atmosphere, not unlike the Tetramand home world Khoros. Just as Ben got to the part of the war where the Salarians uplifted the Krogan to fight the Rachni, he heard Shepard call out to him.
"Hey, Ben. Let's go and see if your new armor fits," The newly-appointed SpecTRe said as Ben looked behind him. Deciding to take a break from his history homework, Ben got up from the table and walked over to him.
"Let's do it," Ben replied as he and Shepard stepped into the elevator and the latter pressed the button to take them down to the shuttle bay. Upon arrival, they saw that their crewmates were settling in quite nicely. Wrex was hanging out over by a stack of crates and inspecting his shotgun, Ashley was standing over at a desk and adding her new mods to her weapons, and Garrus was over by the tank in the back of the room and doing what Ben could only guess was modifying it.
Mental note: try and use aliens like Upgrade or Grey Matter to help with tech modifications, Ben thought as he and Shepard walked over to the lockers next to where Ashley was. The chief saw them and walked over from the weapons desk.
"Hey Skipper, what's up?" Ashley greeted.
"Not much, just helping Ben try his new armor on," Shepard replied, "If Ben's going to help us on the first mission, then we have to make sure that his armor fits and is ready to go." With that, the three went over to Ben's newly appointed locker and took out the armor they bought earlier. Ben took his shoes and jacket off, placed them inside the locker, and put the under-guard of the armor over his clothes. Despite the unexpected heaviness, it was rather comfortable.
"Alright, now we need to see if the actual armor fits," Ashley said as she handed Ben the chest piece. Ben had a bit of trouble getting the piece to fit over his body, but Shepard was able to help him fit it properly.
"I remember my first time getting one of these things on," The commander said, remembering the first time he tried on his own suit of armor for the first time. It took him a whole half-hour to try and get everything right. Once the chest piece was in place, Shepard handed Ben the shoulder pieces, which the shapeshifter had no trouble putting on. After that came the leg garments, then the arm padding, then finally the gloves. By the time Shepard and Ashley helped Ben get his armor on; the teen looked like he was already a full-fledged member of the Alliance.
"Gotta say, Tennyson, you look good," Ashley quipped as she looked him over to make sure everything was in its proper place, "I bet every girl in the Alliance would be fighting over you right now if they saw you."
"Yeah, my interest in dating ended a while ago when me and my last girlfriend decided to call things off," Ben said. Shepard and Ashley figured out from the way Ben answered that it was a touchy subject to him, so they decided to drop it.
"So, Ben, what were you looking at when I found you in the mess hall?" Shepard asked.
"Just reading up on a bit of this galaxy's history," Ben answered, "I was looking at an article about a point in time called the 'Rachni Wars.' Pretty nasty stuff."
"Of course it was," The booming voice of Wrex echoed as everyone looked over and saw the Krogan bounty hunter stalk over to them, "Until my people were uplifted, those damn bugs were close to killing everyone else."
"So how did you guys beat them?" Ben asked. A wide grin spread across Wrex's face.
"We took the fight straight to their home world and annihilated their queens," The Krogan bounty hunter explained, "Without them, the bugs didn't know what to do, and then we wiped them off the face of the galaxy." Ben was surprised at this. The Rachni were extinct? Before Wrex could continue, Ben spoke up.
"Was there no other way to stop them?" The shapeshifter asked.
"Times were desperate back then," The voice of Garrus piped up as everyone saw the Turian approach them from the Mako tank, "We exhausted every other method and were left with no other choice. Even if we managed to get them to listen to our negotiations, it would've been a matter of time before they pulled a fast one on us." Ben looked down at the floor. He hated having to hear about wars that led to victory by genocide, but he also knew that was a long time ago, so he couldn't change it. Deciding to move on, Shepard tapped Ben on the shoulder to get his attention.
"So, you have any war stories of your own?" The commander inquired, "After seeing you use that device on Eden Prime, it's obvious that you're pretty experienced with it." Ben grinned at the opportunity to share some of his past adventures with his new team, but before he could choose one to tell of, Garrus spoke up.
"Before we go any further into story time, I want to ask you guys something. Did Ben really turn into some kind of creature in front of Saren and the Council, or was that just Shepard spewing hot air?" The Turian inquired. Wrex chuckled a bit a well.
"Yeah, the Quarian was the only one who believed it," He said. Ben smirked at their comments. It always amused him by proving people wrong.
"If you guys don't believe me, then I think it's time to show you otherwise," Ben quipped as he raised the Omnitrix and turned the dial to Chromastone before pressing it down. One blinding flash of light later, and everyone saw the very Crystalsapien that Shepard had been boasting about. If they had eyebrows, then Wrex and Garrus would've raised them so high that they'd fly off.
"You guys convinced now?" Chromastone asked smugly.
"I am now," Garrus replied. Wrex simply nodded in agreement. Chromastone pressed the symbol on his chest and reverted back to normal.
"So what can that one do?" Ashley asked.
"Chromastone can absorb and redirect energy, put up force fields, use ultraviolet radiation as a weapon, and even fly," Ben explained, remembering his various excursions with the crystalline alien.
"So, out of all your past battles with that device, which one was your favorite?" Shepard asked. Ben pondered for a second before he looked back at his crewmates with a grin.
"I've actually got quite a few that I'm sure you'll all get a kick out of," Ben replied, "Could someone get Tali and Kaidan? I'm sure that they'll want to listen to this too." Shepard and Garrus nodded before heading for the elevator and engine room respectively. A couple minutes later, Garrus and Tali came back out of the engine room and walked over to them, Shepard and Kaidan joining them shortly afterward. With his six teammates standing around them, Ben took a deep breath and proceeded to tell a story of one of his past adventures.
…
"…And when I try to attack Vilgax directly, he just picks me up and throws me halfway across the city!" Tali widened her eyes behind her visor.
"Keelah…" She whispered. This "Vilgax" sounded like truly fearsome enemy, and yet Ben told them he had several encounters with him and lived.
"So what'd you do next?" Kaidan asked.
"I realized that I wasn't going to last very long in a head-on fight, so I used Heatblast's fire powers to melt the road and trap him inside it," Ben explained.
"What happened after that?" Shepard inquired.
"I was about to continue the fight when my cousin and my grandpa pulled up in front of me and told me to get in. I was about to protest when the Omnitrix timed out and I had to get back in the RV. When we tried driving out of the city, two more of Vilgax's drones flew in and tried to attack us."
"Sounds like he really wanted that device on your arm," Ashley said as Ben continued his story.
"The Omnitrix recharged faster than usual, allowing me to change into another alien. After I turned on the dial, I turned it to the alien I wanted and changed, becoming, back then, my resident flyer: Stinkfly." He then turned up the Omnitrix and showed them the mentioned alien. It looked like a giant insect, with four pointed legs and two arms ending in three-clawed hands. It also had two giant wings, a sharpened tail stinger, and four eyestalks on its face. The Omnitrix symbol rested on its face, right between the eyes.
"What can this guy do? He doesn't look like much," Wrex inquired.
"Stinkfly is a lot stronger than he looks," Ben answered, "One time I was able to rip a car apart with ease to save the driver inside in that form. He can also fly at great speeds and with impressive agility, look in all directions with his eyestalks, and shoot slime from his eyes and mouth. The slime can range from watery to put out fires, glue-like to hold down objects or people, or acidic to burn through objects."
"Sounds like one tough bug to squash," Garrus quipped. Ben smirked in response.
"He really is," The teen replied, "Anyway, with Stinkfly, I easily took out the drones, but then Vilgax, who managed to escape from the molten asphalt earlier, took me by surprise, and overpowered me. To my next surprise, he managed to deactivate the Omnitrix and turn me back to normal. Then he captured me and took me onboard his flagship." By this point, everyone already had a great deal of respect for Ben, most notably Shepard and Wrex. The former was impressed by his courage and selflessness, though his cockiness was an annoying factor. The latter was impressed by the fact the Ben had been fighting great battles from such a young age. That was something truly worthy of Krogan respect.
"Vilgax put me in some kind of restraining device and explained to me his plan of using the Omnitrix to conquer the galaxy," Ben replied, "Afterwards he tried to take the device from me by cutting my arm off, when suddenly my grandpa's RV burst through the wall of the ship, and then my grandpa came out of the vehicle with some kind of weapon. After an exchange with him, Grandpa activated the weapon and shot Vilgax clean through the wall before trying to get me out the restrainer." Ashley widened her eyes at this.
"Your grandpa sounds like a real badass," She said.
"Yeah, he's a cool guy," Ben replied, "But as soon as he reached me, a power surge went through the device and messed with the Omnitrix. Next thing I knew, I was changing from alien to alien, until I was finally able to break out of the device and started tearing up the drones that were swarming into the room. Meanwhile Grandpa tried to level the ship, which was falling out of the sky. But during the fight, Vilgax, who managed to survive the shot from earlier, attacked him and started crushing him under his foot. I couldn't stand seeing Grandpa get hurt like that, so I tackled Vilgax and knocked us both off the ship." This statement shocked everyone. This guy may have been just a kid, but Ben had shown more heart than half the soldiers in the Alliance. Ben continued telling his story.
"Vilgax continued falling straight down to Mount Rushmore, but fortunately for me, I was Upgrade when I knocked us both off the ship, so I parachuted down. But when I was almost there, the Omnitrix suddenly glitched on me, and the next thing I knew, I was in my Ripjaws form, hanging for dear life off the nose of the statue." This got a laugh out of everyone, Ben included.
"Sounds like you had a hell of a time, kid," Kaidan said as he wiped a tear from his eye.
"Yeah, but the battle was just beginning," Ben continued, "After getting a firm hold on the ledge, I managed to climb up the face of the statue, but since Ripjaws comes from an amphibious race, I ended up drying out and running short of breath. As I struggled to breathe, I saw Vilgax leap up to Mount Rushmore and land right next to me. He walked over and prepared to finish me, but then the Omnitrix glitched again just before he could strike. Just as his fist came down, I got turned into my original speed demon, XLR8, and ran aside. I tried to attack him in head-on charge, but wound up crashing into him and hurting myself instead. Then Vilgax enlarged his arms and tried to attack me, but I dodged him and he wound up destroying part of Mount Rushmore instead." Ashley's eyebrows rose up and her jaw fell wide open. His archenemy destroyed part of one of humanity's most treasured landmarks just to try and capture him?
"The fight continued until Vilgax managed to catch me and throw me into a rock. The Omnitrix switched again and I ended up turning into Diamondhead." Ben showed them the aforementioned alien. "I tried to go on the offensive, but when I started punching him, I wound up breaking my hands off. Before you ask, no, Diamondhead isn't fragile. Vilgax's armor was stronger than I thought. As my hands were regenerating, Vilgax grabbed again and slammed me into the ground. As he prepared to finish me, the Omnitrix suddenly switched yet again. As I braced for impact, the device turned me into Ghostfreak just as Vilgax's fist came down, and it ended up phasing through me." Shepard raised an eyebrow at this.
"What exactly can this 'Ghostfreak' do?" he asked.
"Ghostfreak can pass through solid objects and people, move his eye across the black marks across his body, fly, turn invisible, possess people, survive in a vacuum and extend and retract a set of tentacles from his chest," Ben described as he showed everyone the hologram of the Ectonurite in the Omnitrix.
"Sounds like the perfect stealth operative," Garrus complimented, though some Ghostfreak's abilities such as possessing people made him uneasy.
"Yeah, but it's also kind of a risk using him," Ben replied, which prompted an eyebrow raise from his teammates, "But that's a story for another time. Anyway, as I fled from Vilgax and tried to get away from Mount Rushmore, I saw Vilgax's ship crashed into the forest below, my grandpa's RV wrecked in front of it. I looked through the wreckage to see if they were okay, but when I saw that they weren't inside, I figured that they might've jumped out. When I got out of the wreckage, though, I was horrified to discover that Vilgax had taken my grandpa and my cousin Gwen hostage." Wrex glared and clenched his fists.
"Hostages are a coward's weapon," Wrex sneered, "Your enemy points a gun at someone's head; they can make you do whatever they want."
"Vilgax told me that I had to either choose between letting him take me hostage or letting him kill my family. I think you know the answer I chose." Everyone nodded his or her head in understanding. "After I surrendered, Vilgax deactivated the Omnitrix and took me onto his ship. However, my grandpa warned Vilgax not to go into the ship, and Vilgax soon realized why. It turns out my grandpa rigged the ship to self-destruct before he and Gwen left."
"Your grandfather sounds like a smart man," Tali said.
"As Vilgax tried to deactivate the self-destruct sequence, I took the opportunity to take him by surprise and shot him with the same weapon that Grandpa left on the ship. After Vilgax was trapped under fallen debris, I transformed into Heatblast and leapt out of the ship, using his powers to create a fiery surfboard to ride out on just as the ship exploded." With the story done, Ben took the chance to catch his breath as everyone else took in what he told them. Eventually, Shepard broke the silence.
"Sounds like your childhood wasn't exactly normal, was it?" He jokingly asked. Ben laughed in response.
"Not really," He said, "Each day led from one weird encounter after another, and when the Omnitrix got upgraded, things just got even weirder."
"Got any other crazy stories?" Tali asked, hoping to learn more about her new teammate.
"A few, but I'm a bit winded from that last one, and I'd also like to get ready for the mission," Ben replied, "I'm still new to this universe and I'd like to be ready for anything." Shepard nodded in approval at Ben's logic.
"Ben's right, story time's over," He said, "Everyone get your gear ready. Prep your weapons, get a bite to eat, check your armor, do whatever you need to do to get ready for Therum." With that, everyone went his or her separate ways. Garrus went back to the tank in the back of the room to finish giving it the necessary touch-ups for the mission. Ashley and Kaidan went back to the weapons lockers to make sure that all the armaments were ready to go, as well as check and modify their armor. Wrex went back over to the crates he was hanging out by, while Tali went back to the engine room. Ben, however, went with Shepard to the elevator. Once they stepped inside, Shepard looked over at Ben.
"What are you going to do to get ready?" The commander asked.
"Probably get a quick snack and read up a little on the planet we're about to land on," Ben replied, "If I'm about to land on an unknown planet, I'd like to be at least a little prepared." With that, Shepard pressed the button and the elevator door closed. After a short ride back up to the crew deck, the two stepped off and went in separate directions. Shepard went to his office while Ben walked over to the kitchen area. After pouring himself a glass of orange juice, Ben walked back over to the table and activated his Omni-tool before looking up Therum. As he read through the data on the planet, he learned that the Alliance earned colonial rights to the planet and set up mining colonies across the terrain, using its rich metal deposits to boost humanity's production rates. It was also home to many Prothean ruins, and since Udina mentioned that Liara studied the Protheans, it wouldn't be too hard to track her down.
…
After another six hours in light-speed, the Normandy finally exited its jump and entered the Knossos system. Shepard called the team down to the shuttle bay to prepare for the mission, with Ben walking over and getting his helmet from his locker before joining the rest of the crew. Once everyone was in place, Shepard spoke up.
"Alright everyone, here's the plan," The commander instructed as Wrex and Kaidan checked their weapons, "We're going to get in the Mako, Joker will fly in and drop us off, and then we go in and rescue Dr. T'Soni." He noticed that Wrex had a look of disappointment on his face. "And if there's any Geth or other people following Saren in our way, we crush them." That brightened up the Krogan's face as he gave a bloodthirsty grin. With that, the team climbed inside of the tank, which was surprisingly spacious enough to hold seven people inside. Once everyone was buckled up, Shepard pressed the com-link inside the tank's cockpit.
"Joker, everyone's in position," Shepard said.
"Copy that, Commander,"Joker replied over the intercom, "ETA to the landing zone is 3 minutes." With that, Ben looked down at the Omnitrix and prepared himself. A short while later, the hatch to the shuttle bay opened, and Shepard gunned the tank's motor. The next thing everyone knew, Shepard drove the tank straight out of the shuttle bay and right onto the ground below! Looking back, Shepard saw that the rest of his crew were all clutching onto their safety harnesses tightly.
"Kaidan, take the gun," Shepard instructed as Kaidan climbed up to the turret mounted on the roof of the tank. With that, Shepard prepared to start driving when they all heard Joker again.
"Commander, I'm getting some strange readings," the pilot informed, "Really strange, like off the damn charts. It's coming from an underground complex a few clicks away from the drop zone."
"Thanks, Joker. We're on our way there now," Shepard replied as he drove forward. Normally, Ben wouldn't have to worry about bumpy roads, but his patience was starting to be tested with the craggy surface of the volcanic planet. As they drove, Ben couldn't help but notice that Tali was holding her knees with her hands rather tightly, and could tell that this was her first time riding in a vehicle like this. Sympathy taking over, Ben reached up and put his hand on her shoulder, prompting the Quarian to look at him.
"You nervous?" Ben asked. Tali nodded.
"I've never really ridden in something like this before," Tali sheepishly replied, "I can't help but tense up every time we hit one of those huge bumps." Ben chuckled at this.
"I used to be like that, but I got used to it after a while," Ben said as he tightened his grip on Tali's shoulder, "You will too. Just give it some time." Even though he couldn't see it, Ben could tell that Tali was smiling behind her mask. Suddenly everyone heard a series of loud booms coming from outside.
"We have armature units outside!" Shepard called, "Everyone brace for combat!" With that, Ben heard a loud boom coming from above, indicating that Kaidan fired the Mako's main cannon, followed by rapid machine gun fire. Suddenly the Mako lurched forward, which Ben could guess was Shepard avoiding enemy fire. A couple minutes later, the shots stopped firing and the area was quiet.
"All clear, Commander," Kaidan called from the turret. With that, Shepard drove forward once again, the Mako shaking, bumping and shuddering from the treacherous terrain. Then, just as they came around a corner, they saw a closed gate with turrets mounted on them… that were now shooting at them. Just as the Mako moved out of range, Wrex took the perfect opportunity to speak up.
"Only a fool punches a nathak in the mouth. We should sneak around and pull its tail," the Krogan quipped. That gave Ben an idea.
"Looks like it's my time to shine," Ben said as he undid his safety harness and activated the Omnitrix, "Time for an old friend to come out." With that, Ben pressed down on the device, and the transformation began. When the light faded, everyone saw an alien that looked like a velociraptor, with most of its body wearing what looked like a black jumpsuit with a green stripe running down the chest. It also had black wheels on its feet, blue stripes on the tip of its tail, sharp claws on its hands, and a helmet covering most of its head, revealing only a blue face with large green eyes.
"XLR8!" Ben called out in a raspy voice before looking himself over, "Man, haven't used this form in a while. Shepard, can you open the door on this thing? I have an idea." Shepard nodded, and as soon as the door to the cabin of the Mako opened, Ben lowered a visor over his face and disappeared in a flash of black and blue. Ashley and Wrex widened their eyes in surprise.
"Looks like the kid wasn't kidding when he said that thing was fast," Ashley remarked, to which Wrex nodded his large head in response.
…
XLR8 ran out of the Mako as fast as his wheel-bearing feet could carry him, moving so quickly that it looked like the turrets' missiles were flying in slow motion. Having faced situations like this before, XLR8 dashed up to the first turret, leapt up to it, and sliced his caws clean through the base of the gun. As the severed turret fell to the ground with a crash, Ben dashed over to the other one and performed the same action, taking out the turret before it could even turn around. With the threat taken care of, XLR8 ran over the wall to look for a way to get the door open… and suddenly came under fire.
"Oh, jeez!" XLR8 cried out as he ran behind a stack of crates for cover. Ducking in and out of the gunfire, XLR8 looked around and saw that a platoon of Geth, plus an armature unit, surrounded him on all sides. Deciding to worry about the armature later, XLR8 dashed out from behind the crates and slashed his claws right through the first Geth he saw. As the robot fell to the ground, XLR8 saw what looked like white liquid pouring out of its body before it deactivated. The gunfire resumed as the Kineceleran ran to and fro, taking down the Geth as quickly as he could while trying not to get shot. As the last Geth lined up to get a shot at him, XLR8 dashed over to it and punctured its chest with his claws before swiping his tail at it, sending it crashing into a nearby wall and destroying it on contact. XLR8 smirked to himself before turning around to face the armature. XLR8 barely came up the four-legged robot's knees, but he was still more than determined to take it down.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," XLR8 whispered before charging at the armature head-on. The large machine fired a plasma bolt at him, but XLR8 already avoided the shot and leapt up onto the armature's back, slashing its claws at it in hopes of piercing its armor, but to no avail.
Looks like this thing's a bit tougher than the soldiers, XLR8 thought as he stood rigid on the machine's back. Suddenly he found himself flying to the ground as the armature shifted and shuddered its weight, throwing him off in the process. As the Kineceleran brought himself to a halt across the ashen ground, the armature turned around to face him, as if it was challenging him to try again. XLR8 glared as he dodged another plasma shot, and then took a moment to analyze the armature before it could attack again. Then it dawned on him: he was attacking the wrong spot. The armature's head and torso had tough armor, but the joints in the neck and legs were slightly less armored, most likely to enable mobility. Deciding to take a new approach to his attack, XLR8 charged at the armature, but then bolted to the left at the last second. Before the armature could compute the situation, it picked damage to its back left leg as it tilted over. XLR8 had dashed behind the armature and jabbed his claws into the armature's knee, effectively crippling it. With his enemy unable to properly fight back, XLR8 ran up the armature's back and swiped his claws into the base of the armature's neck. The armature jerked and twitched before its circuits finally gave out and the machine slumped over dead. With the threat now taken care of, XLR8 jumped off the dead robot's back and looked around for a way to open the door. The he looked by the wall and saw a door.
"Looks like that problem's solved," XLR8 said as he dashed over to the room inside the wall. He was about to round a corner when a green bullet suddenly flew past his face. Jumping back with a yelp of surprise, the Kineceleran saw that one Geth managed to keep itself hidden. Lunging forward, XLR8 kicked the machine with a surprising amount of force, crushing its chest plate and disabling it. Once the area clear of hostiles, XLR8 rounded the corner and saw a red button placed on the wall. Knowing from past experience what a red button like that meant, XLR8 raised his claw and pushed it.
…
Nearly four minutes had passed since Ben had left to open the door, and Shepard was now starting to worry that something might have happened to his shapeshifting teammate. Deciding to take action, the commander was about to fire up the Mako and help out his teammate when the door suddenly opened, revealing destroyed Geth corpses strewn across the courtyard.
"Looks like the kid actually did it," Garrus said as Shepard drove the vehicle forward. As they drove into the courtyard between the two walls, Kaidan saw a streak of black and blue head straight for the other door control. Less than a minute later, the other door opened. Then the same streak ran up to the vehicle and stopped, revealing XLR8 himself. The dinosaur-like alien pressed the symbol on his chest and reverted back to Ben, who the lieutenant noticed was breathing heavily.
"Have a nice jog, kid?" Kaidan joked as Shepard opened the door on the back of the Mako.
"Yeah, even had a boxing match with about two dozen Geth and one of those big robots while doing it. You should try it yourself sometime," Ben retorted as he climbed into the vehicle and strapped himself in. Just then, Shepard spoke up.
"You did good, Ben," The commander complimented, "Now let's get going. Tali; change places with Kaidan on the gun." Once Kaidan and Tali switched places, the Mako rolled forward once again. The large vehicle drove through the gates and over another hill, but when it rounded another corner, everyone suddenly found himself or herself holding on for dear life as the Mako swerved sharply to the side.
"Shepard, what happened?!" Ashley called out.
"We've got more armature units," Shepard replied, "One of them just opened fire at us. Tali, engage!" Everyone heard the sound of the Mako's cannon firing a rocket at the armature unit, followed by machine gun fire. A couple seconds passed, and the Mako moved forward once again, only to once again avoid an armature's plasma shot. Tali opened fire on the machine, and a few seconds later, the armature was reduced to scrap. Just then, a plasma shot came down at them from the top of a nearby hill. Shepard gritted his teeth as he drove the tank around the corner to avoid fire. As they took cover behind a boulder, Shepard looked at his team.
"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us this time," The commander said.
"Not quite," Ben replied, "When I fought that one armature a while back, I found their weak points. The most obvious one is the knees, but the second one is right at the base of the neck, right where the entire wiring meet up. Striking it could easily take them down." Ashley looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Sounds like you were busy back there," The gunnery chief said.
"I try," Ben replied with a grin. Shepard pressed the communicator.
"Did you get that, Tali? Aim at the base of their necks," he ordered.
"Understood, Shepard," the Quarian replied. With that, the Mako drove around the boulder and Tali took aim with the turret. Once her target was sighted, Tali fired, and the rocket hit the spot right where the neck met the chest. True to Ben's word, the machine's circuitry overloaded and it exploded. Driving up the hill, Shepard saw one last armature getting ready to shoot a plasma blast at them. Not about to let that happen again, Shepard stepped down on the gas and rammed the Mako head-on into the armature. The attack made the machine lose its footing, and the armature teetered over the edge. Once the threat was taken care of, Shepard turned the Mako around and went forward again. Driving toward the slope of the hill, Shepard didn't even have any time to react when a rocket flew forward and struck the Mako head-on. No one was injured, but the blast took a toll on the Mako's shields.
"Commander, we've got a squad of Geth and a Colossus right by that tunnel!" Tali called out as she analyzed the situation.
"We'll worry about the Colossus later. For now, take out the Geth troopers first," Shepard ordered. Tali gulped nervously as she looked at the Colossus before she aimed the turret at the Geth troopers and opened fire. The machine gun easily made Swiss cheese out of the troopers, but a blast from the Colossus stopped short of the Mako. Backing up to avoid another shot, Tali fired a rocket at the base of the Colossus' neck, but it didn't receive that much damage.
"This bosh'tet has thicker armor than the armatures. Let's try this again," Tali muttered to herself as she aimed the gun again, but her aim was thrown slightly off when Shepard backed up to avoid another shot. Once the vehicle stopped, the Quarian took aim at the Colossus' chest and fired again. This time, the shot looked like it did some damage, as sparks were now leaking out of its body. Tali fired again one last time and finally managed to pierce the Colossus' armor. The great machine staggered to its knees and finally deactivated. Now that all hostiles were eliminated, Shepard drove the Mako forward into the tunnel. After a short drive, the crew saw two more rocket troopers waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp.
"Easy prey," Wrex said with a chuckle. Tali took aim and fired a single rocket right between the two troopers. The rocket itself might've missed, but the shockwave and the shrapnel were still enough to destroy them. Shepard drove forward once again, and after a long drive forward, the team came across another tunnel. Before they went in, Shepard ordered Ashley to take Tali's place at the turret. Once the chief was situated, Shepard drove into the tunnel. As they went forward, Ashley saw two more troopers that she proceeded to mow down with the Mako's machine gun. Shepard rounded a corner and saw three more Geth waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. As the commander drove down the ramp, Ashley fired a rocket at the robots and took out two of them, but an energy barrier protected the third. The remaining Geth raised its launcher to fire at the Mako, but it was easily crushed under the Mako's massive tires. After a quick drive forward, Shepard came to a pass that was blocked off by fallen rocks.
"Alright, we'll have to finish the rest of this mission on foot," Shepard said as he opened the door on the back of the Mako. With a nod, everyone got out of their seats and piled out of the vehicle. Once Shepard and Ashley got out, the commander placed his finger on his communicator.
"Joker, we're not going to use the Mako for the rest of the mission. I'm sending you the coordinates for pickup," he said.
"Roger that, Commander. Good luck," The pilot replied. With that, everyone readied their weapons while Ben raised the Omnitrix. Turning on the alien dial, Ben scrolled through it until he found the one he wanted and pressed it down. One flash of light later, everyone saw what may have possibly been the weirdest-looking life form they had ever seen. It was a large yellow creature that stood on two legs like a human, but it stood seven feet tall, had four claw-like fingers on each hand and three long toes on each foot. It wore black pants topped with a green belt that had the Omnitrix symbol, and it had two large bat-like ears on its eyeless face. But its weirdest feature was the fact that it had large green eyes all over its arms, shoulders and back. It even had eyes in the palms of its hands!
"What the hell is that thing?" Ashley asked out of both fear and curiosity.
"I like to call this form… EYE GUY!" Ben introduced his new alien form. With everyone prepared for combat, the team moved up the hill. It didn't take very long for them to find trouble, however, as a whole platoon of Geth opened fire upon them. After ducking behind a set of boulders for cover, Shepard and Kaidan returned fire with their biotics while Ashley and Garrus covered them with their sniper rifles. Wrex released a biotic attack at a Geth while Tali sabotaged another one and destroyed it. Eye Guy pointed his left hand at a Geth Juggernaut and fired an energy beam from the eye on its palm and nailed the robot clean through the chest. As another Geth tried to outflank Wrex, Eye Guy pointed his other hand at it and fired another beam at it. Wrex looked over at Ben and nodded in appreciation. One short firefight later, the Geth were all taken care of and the team moved further up the hill, with Eye Guy and Ashley taking point. Just when they were about to round another corner, Eye Guy stopped cold, holding his right arm out to signal the others to stop as well.
"Ben, what is it?" Shepard asked.
"I heard something," Eye Guy replied. Suddenly, the Opticoid heard a popping sound in the distance. His acute sense of hearing let him know it was a sniper shot, and judging from the pitch of the shot, it was fired at an angle. Suddenly it dawned on him.
"GET DOWN!" Eye Guy cried out as he tackled Ashley to the ground. Before anyone could ask why, a sniper shot whizzed overhead and hit a rock instead. Ashley widened her eyes in shock that Eye Guy could detect something like that, but she was too surprised to say anything.
"Thanks," was all she could muster. After helping Ashley to her feet, Eye Guy fired a beam from the eye on his left shoulder blade in the direction the shot came from. To everyone's surprise, they saw the remains of a Geth sniper fall down from a cliff to the ground below.
"That was just a warning, everyone," Shepard said, "Get ready for combat." With that, everyone took out their weapons and rounded the corner, where they were greeted by a platoon of Geth. The firefight that followed was probably one of the most intense that Ben had ever fought in. As Eye Guy, he could easily see all areas around his body, but it was still hard for him to keep track of multiple opponents in all those areas at once. Bullets flew, biotic attacks were launched, rockets were dodged and beams were fired, but in the end, the team managed to defeat their mechanical enemies. As they went up the hill on the other side of the valley they were fighting in, Shepard called out to his team.
"Is everyone alright back there?" The commander called out.
"A bit winded, but I'll manage," Kaidan replied.
"I'm doing fine, Shepard," answered Garrus.
"I got grazed on the arm by a lucky bullet, but it's not serious," replied Ashley.
"Fifty degrees hotter and I might start to feel uncomfortable. How are you mammals holding up?" Wrex joked.
"My suit's holding up fine, Commander," Tali said. Eye Guy turned back into Ben.
"I'm doing fine, boss," Ben said with a grin. With a nod, Shepard led the others up the hill, where Ben could see the top of some sort of structure at the top.
"Looks like we found those ruins, Commander," Kaidan said. However, Ben knew better than to let his guard down.
"Don't get too comfortable, Kaidan," Ben warned, "I've been in these kinds of situations before. Keep your guard up and be ready for anything."
"Ben's right," Shepard agreed, "Everyone, keep on your toes. There could be a trap at the entrance." As they walked closer to the ruins, a strange, froglike Geth leapt down in front of them and crawled over to the adjacent wall. Suddenly a Geth ship soared overhead and dropped off a platoon of Geth troopers and, to everyone's terror, another armature unit in front of them.
"Everyone get to cover!" Tali cried out as they split up and went to opposite barriers. Shepard, Kaidan, Wrex and Tali went to the left, while Ben, Ashley and Garrus went to the right, dodging gunfire all the while.
"Hey Ben, want the big one this time?" Ashley joked as she shot down a rocket trooper.
"I thought you'd never ask," Ben replied with a sly grin on his face. Raising the Omnitrix and turning on the alien dial, Ben decided that a little muscle was right for the situation. Finding the alien he wanted, Ben pressed down the dial and disappeared in another flash of light. A moment later, standing in his place was an alien that almost looked like a humanoid tiger. It stood nine feet tall and had black stripes running down its back, shoulders and arms. Most of his body had orange fur, but his chest was white. He was also wearing black-and-green shorts and boots, and also had a large black claw coming out of each wrist. The alien let out a guttural growl before spreading its arms wide.
"RATH!" The tiger-like alien roared before looking the Geth fearlessly in the eye, "LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, GETH TROOPERS! RATH IS GOING TO SEND YOU ALL STRAIGHT TO THE SCRAPHEAP BEFORE ANY OF YOU CAN SAY 'ROBOTS IN DISGUISE!'" As Rath charged head-on into the squad of Geth facing him and started tearing them apart, Shepard and Kaidan looked at each other confused while Ashley was trying not to laugh.
"Is that Ben?" Tali whispered before firing her shotgun at a Geth leaper. Rath extended the claws on his wrists and began ripping through Geth soldiers like tissue paper before setting his sights on the armature. If this was the old Ben, then Rath would've charged head-on without thinking twice, but Ben had a lot of experience with the Appoplexian and knew how to control him. Grabbing the remains of a fallen Geth, Rath crumpled it into a large metal ball and threw it at the armature, hoping to get its attention. His plan worked all too well.
"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, GETH ARMATURE UNIT! RATH IS GONNA SMASH YOU INTO SO MANY PIECES, SAREN'S GONNA NEED A DUMP TRUCK TO TAKE YOU HOME!" With that, Rath ran over to the armature and leapt onto its back, where he began to pound away at its armor, completely forgetting about the weak points he discovered earlier. Unlike XLR8, however, Rath was far superior in strength, as the armature's armor plating began to give way to his massive fists. As the last of the Geth troopers were destroyed, the rest of the team watched Rath go to work on the armature.
"Should we help him?" Tali asked. Wrex let out a laugh.
"I think he's got it covered. Besides, I'd rather enjoy the show," The Krogan said. A second later, Rath managed to smash his way through the armor and rip a part of it off, revealing the wiring inside. Now Rath might not have been the brightest being in the universe, but even he knew what that meant.
"Looks like your warranty's expired!" Rath said as he reached inside and yanked out several wires. The armature began to jerk and spasm before it short-circuited and fell over. Still holding the wires in his hand, Rath jumped off his fallen opponent and spread his arms wide as he let out a roar.
"AW, YEAH! WHO'S YOUR DADDY, GETH ARMATURE UNIT?! THE ANSWER IS RATH!" Suddenly a voice cut off his gloating.
"Ben, focus! We still have to rescue Dr. T'Soni, remember?" Shepard called out. Rath turned around and rubbed the back of his head.
"Yeah, sorry!" Rath replied before he pressed down on the Omnitrix symbol and turned back into Ben. With that, the team entered the ruins and prepared themselves for any surprises that might be lurking inside.
…
The door to the entrance closed with a faint hiss as Shepard led his team down the tunnel entrance. The commander had his pistol out just in case any surprises were waiting for them, and sure enough, he was right. When they reached the bottom, a Geth trooper opened fire at them. Shepard threw it off the edge with a biotic blast, while Garrus took care of a sniper waiting below them. The team went across the landing ton scout for any more hostiles, but relaxed once they saw that the area was clear. Walking down the scaffolding inside, Ben and Tali saw what looked like a collapsed cave on their right.
"It looks like this cavern formed around the ruin. After it was built," Tali analyzed.
"Maybe that's what caused the place to collapse," Ben guessed. They then joined their comrades on a nearby elevator. Once everyone was inside, Shepard pushed the button and made the elevator go down. A short ride later, the elevator came to a stop and the door opened, allowing the team to step off. While they looked around for any sign of trouble, Wrex suddenly drew out his assault rifle and shot down a Geth drone. This caused the rest of the team to bring out their weapons while Ben raised the Omnitrix, but to the latter's surprise, there were only three drones. Wrex huffed as he put his rifle away.
"Sterile white. Protheans sure made things look homey," The Krogan bounty hunter said as he looked around.
"Tell me about it," Ben said, agreeing with Wrex's sarcasm. With that, everyone walked over to another elevator. Once the team was inside, Shepard pressed the down button, and the lift began to move. However, halfway down, the elevator began to short-circuit, stopping about two feet from the landing. Throwing caution to the wind, the team leapt out of the elevator and continued the descent on foot. As they neared the bottom, they heard a voice.
"Uh, hello? Could somebody help me? Please?" It didn't take a genius to figure out that voice belonged to Dr. T'Soni. The team looked at the cell next to them and saw a young Asari trapped in a sort of force field.
"Looks like we found her," Ben muttered. Liara looked down at her rescuers with pleading eyes.
"Can you hear me out there?" She asked, "I am trapped. I need help!"
"Are you okay? What happened to you?" Shepard asked.
"Listen, this thing I'm in is a Prothean security device," Liara replied in a fearful voice, "I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it, alright?" As Shepard and Liara talked, Ben couldn't help but look the young Asari over. She had beautiful azure skin with eyebrow-like markings on her face. She had blue eyes that seemed to shine with a youthful innocence. It seemed like everything about her gave Ben a weird sort of feeling in the pit of his stomach, something he hadn't felt since…
Ben widened his eyes. He realized that this feeling in his stomach was exactly the same he experienced when he first met Julie. But why was he experiencing this now, just a few short months after they broke up? His musings were cut short, however, when he heard Shepard speak.
"We'll find some way to help you," The commander said.
"There is a control panel in here that should deactivate this thing. You'll have to find some way past the barrier curtain. That's the tricky part. The defenses cannot be shut off from the outside. I don't know how you'll get in here. And be careful. There is a Krogan here with the Geth. They have been trying different ways to get past the barrier," Liara informed. Ben got an idea.
"I think I can help with that," He said as he raised the Omnitrix and activated the alien dial. After spinning it around a few times, he came across the alien he wanted and pressed it down. One flash of light later, they saw a blue humanoid alien that large green eyes, two long antennae on its head, and two pairs of large blue wings on its back.
"BIG CHILL!" The alien called out in a whispery voice. Liara widened her eyes at the sight of the creature.
"What is that thing, and how did he change into it?" She asked.
"To answer your first question, I'm the alien that's getting you out of there, and to answer your second question, it's a long story that I can't tell right now," Big Chill replied before his body turned transparent. Then, to everyone's surprise, the Necrofriggian flew forward and went straight through the wall next to Liara's holding cell before reappearing right behind her. After turning tangible again, Big Chill pressed the Omnitrix symbol on his chest and turned back into Ben. Liara looked behind her and saw Ben standing in his human form.
"Let's get you out of here before the Geth show up," Ben said. Liara was surprised at first, but then got over it. She would have more time to inquire about her mysterious rescuer after she was rescued.
"Yes, you're right. I've seen enough of them to last a lifetime," Liara agreed before looking over at the control console, "That button over there should shut down this containment field." Ben looked over at the console then back to Liara.
"Is it also possible to shut down that field and lower the barrier so the others can get through?" Ben asked.
"I'm not sure," Liara replied, "I didn't think about that." Just then, Ben got another idea.
"I think I can make it happen," He said as he raised the Omnitrix and activated the alien dial once again. He spun it around a few times before coming across the image of Grey Matter and pressing it down. After a bright flash of green light, Liara opened her eyes and saw that Ben was gone.
"Where did you go?" She asked.
"Down here," came a tiny voice. Liara looked down and saw a small grey alien that resembled an amphibian. Grey Matter jumped onto the console and looked at the controls.
"Okay, let's see…" The Galvan said as he cracked his knuckles and set to work on the console's inner wiring. Another minute of technobabble had passed, and soon the security field deactivated, and Liara fell to the ground with a thud. As she got up and dusted herself off, the barrier went down and allowed Shepard's crew to pass through. Ben changed back into Big Chill and floated down the elevator shaft in front of them before coming back with the lift and returning to normal a moment later.
"Any idea how we get out of this place?" Tali asked.
"The elevator that your strange friend brought up," Liara replied, "At least I think it's an elevator. It should take us out of here. Come on!" With that, everyone joined Ben on the lift. After Ben pressed the button and prepared to ascend, Liara looked at the team with a look of concern on her face.
"I… I still cannot believe all this. Why would the Geth come after me? Do you think Benezia's involved?" She inquired. Ben, who was standing next to Ashley, could tell that something was about to happen when he saw her look over in Liara's direction.
"Saren's looking for the Conduit. Think fast, Ms. Prothean Expert," The gunnery chief said in a snarky tone. Suddenly she felt a hard blow hit her in the side. Looking in the direction of the hit, she saw Ben's left elbow extended… and Ben himself sporting a venomous glare on his face. Ashley clearly knew that face meant "If you know what's good for you, you will shut up". Liara looked at them with a puzzled expression.
"The Conduit? But I don't…" Suddenly her response was cut short by a rumble in the ground that shook the entire room.
"What the hell was that?" Kaidan asked.
"These ruins are not stable," Liara answered, "The volcanic activity on this planet being unpredictable does not help with that either. It seems that the Geth trying to break through the barrier must have triggered some kind of seismic event. We have to get out of here. The whole place is caving in!" Liara pressed the up button on the control panel, and the lift began ascending. Shepard placed his hand on his communicator.
"Joker, get the Normandy airborne and lock in on my signal. On the double, mister!" Shepard ordered.
"Aye, aye, Commander. Secure and aweigh. ETA eight minutes," Joker replied.
"He needs to move faster," Tali said, panic clearly visible in her voice.
"If I die in here, I'll kill him," Wrex snarled. With that, the lift reached the top floor. However, before anyone could get off, a platoon of Geth led by a massive Krogan with green plating and silver armor approached them, weapons at the ready. As Shepard and his team prepared for a fight, the Krogan spoke.
"Surrender, or don't. That'd be more fun," He said in a deep voice.
"In case you didn't notice, this place is falling apart," Shepard said, annoyed by this little interference.
"Exhilarating, isn't it?" The Krogan said as he stepped forward, "Thanks for getting rid of those energy fields for us. Now hand the doctor over."
"Whatever it is you want, you're not getting it from me," Liara said defiantly.
"She'll be staying with us, thanks," Ben added. The Krogan shook his head in annoyance.
"Not an option," He growled. Just then, Ben stepped forward and stared the Krogan dead in the eye.
"Guys, no matter what happens, stay behind me," Ben whispered as he looked back at Shepard and the others.
"Why? What's going on?" Shepard asked.
"Trust me, what I'm about to do to this guy… it's not gonna be pretty," Ben replied before turning back to the Krogan with a defiant look on his face. "Let me ask you a question, big guy: Have you ever heard the phrase 'Beauty is only skin-deep?' Because right now, you're only looking at the beauty." The Krogan burst out laughing.
"Really? Sorry if I didn't notice. What are you gonna do, human? Make faces at me and try to scare me away?" The Krogan taunted. Ben simply raised up the Omnitrix.
"Something like that," Ben replied as he turned on the dial, "But trust me when I say that you wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. And it's a good one!"
"Come on, then, show me!" the Krogan demanded, his grip on the shotgun he was carrying tightening.
"Alright, but be warned, I don't do this very often," Ben replied as he turned the dial to the desired alien, "Get ready." With that, Ben pressed the dial down, though Garrus and Kaidan noticed that he hesitated slightly before doing so. Was Ben actually afraid of one of his transformations?
One flash of bright light later, everyone saw a strange new creature standing in the spot where Ben used to be. It was a yellowish humanoid creature, with a stout body, black shorts, stubby legs, and large arms with spiny bristles coming out of them. His most notable feature, however, was his helmet. It looked like a large metal cage, with horns coming off the top and a green crest in the middle of the forehead. A cage-like opening that only revealed two bright green eyes obscured the face. The collar on the bottom of the helmet had the Omnitrix symbol on it and was connected to a metal belt with chains. This alien might not have looked like much, but the way Ben spoke about it was rather unnerving for the team. Just what was Ben so afraid of about this particular alien?
"Like I said, big guy, you only saw the beauty side of me before. Now with great pleasure, I introduce you to the beast!" The alien said in a demonic-sounding voice as he barreled toward the Krogan at top speed, ramming into him and knocking the shotgun out of his hands. As the fight went on, Shepard and his team opened fire on the Geth to keep them off of Ben.
"Dr. T'Soni, get to cover!" Shepard ordered. Liara nodded and ran behind the control console for the lift, peeking out occasionally at the fight.
…
Toepick swing his fist at the Krogan's face and struck him squarely in the jaw, knocking him back in the process. As the Phobosapien went in for another attack, the Krogan recovered and caught his fist before punching him in the stomach. The Krogan smirked at his opponent.
"You've a quad on you if you think you can take on a Krogan Battlemaster in a fight," He said as Toepick regained his balance, "But now it's over. You don't stand a chance." The Krogan threw his left fist at Toepick, who quickly caught it in his right hand and threw his own left hand at the Krogan, who also caught it. As the two locked in a power struggle, Toepick suddenly began to laugh. It was a sound that sent a chill down even the Krogan's spine.
"You just played right into my hand," He said as he began pushing the Krogan back. Before the Krogan could even ask why, the vents on the collar began to spew out green gas, and the cage doors opened with a hiss, allowing the Krogan to get a good look at what was behind it.
…
Liara could only describe the scene before her with only one word: horror. Sheer, indescribable horror. She had been watching the fight before her as Shepard and his team shot down the Geth soldiers the Krogan brought with him, when suddenly everyone began hearing a series of disturbing sounds, ranging from screaming, hissing, and even disturbing laughter, all mixed with the terrified screams of the Krogan. Everyone looked over and saw that Ben was holding the Krogan by his hands with his cage-mask open.
"What's the matter? Didn't your mother tell you it's rude to stare?" Ben taunted. That one taunt sent chills down everyone's spine. No one, not even Wrex, had ever seen a Krogan get this scared before, and to see it now, even Ashley had to admit that not even Saren deserved this. As the screaming continued, the Krogan, along with his armor, began to turn as white as a sheet of paper. Even when Ben released his hands, the Krogan was practically rooted to the spot in sheer terror. Eventually the screaming stopped, and the Krogan fell over unconscious. Ben quickly closed his mask and pressed the Omnitrix symbol, turning back into his human form, a visible shudder moving across his body. Everyone approached him cautiously; as if afraid he might turn back into that creature.
"Ben, what the hell did you do to that guy?" Ashley asked, fear shaking her voice. Ben looked over at them with regretful eyes.
"That was Toepick, one of the most dangerous aliens in my dimension," Ben explained, "His main power lies in his face. It's so hideously ugly that he can scare anyone just by showing it to them, usually with side effects." Liara scanned the Krogan with her Omni-tool and was surprised by the results.
"He's gone comatose," she said in shock. Ben looked over at her.
"That's never happened before," He said before another tremor shook the room.
"Come on, guys. Let's get out of here," Shepard said. Ben nodded as he and the others began running out of the room as fast as they possibly could. As they ran, the cave was beginning to fall apart around them. Shepard saw a large piece of the ceiling fall down and destroy the scaffolding behind them.
"Move, move, move!" he cried out as they ran. Eventually they came to the entrance and ran through it as fast as their legs could carry them. By the time they got to the surface, the Normandy was already waiting for them.
…
Once everyone was on the ship, Joker turned the ship around and flew off the planet as fast as he could. Shepard and the team, meanwhile, were in the CIC to go over the mission.
"Too close, Commander," Joker said over the intercom, "Ten more seconds and we would've been swimming in molten sulfur. TheNormandy isn't equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull. Just for future reference." Ben couldn't help but laugh at the pilot's wit, but Liara wasn't so sure about it.
"We almost died back there and your pilot is making jokes about it?" She asked. Shepard just shrugged in response.
"Joker just pulled our asses out of the fire back there. I think he's earned the right to a few bad jokes," He said.
"I see. It must be a human thing," Liara said, "I'm afraid I don't have a lot of experience with your species, Commander."
"Give it some time," Ben reassured her, "You'll get used to it." Liara looked at him with a small smile.
"I suppose, but I am grateful to you. You saved my life back there, and not just from the volcano," She said, "Those Geth would've killed me, or dragged me off to Saren."
"What did Saren want with you? Do you know something about the Conduit?" Kaidan asked.
"Only that it somehow had to do with the Prothean extinction," Liara replied, "That is my real area of expertise. I've spent the past fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them." Ben looked at Liara with a raised eyebrow.
"How old are you, exactly?" He asked.
"I hate to admit it, but I am only 106," Liara replied.
"Damn! Hope I look that good when I'm your age," Ashley quipped.
"A century might seem like a long time for a short-lived species like yours," Liara said, "But among the Asari, I am barely considered more than a child. That is why my research has not received the attention it deserves. Because of my youth, other Asari scholars tend to dismiss my theories on what happened to the Protheans."
"I have my own theory on why the Protheans disappeared," Shepard said.
"With all due respect, Commander, I have already heard every theory out there," Liara said, "The problem is finding evidence to support them. The Protheans left remarkably little behind. It is almost like someone didn't want the mystery solved. It's like someone came along after the Protheans were gone and cleansed the galaxy of clues. But here is the incredible part: according to my findings, the Protheans were not the first galactic civilization to mysteriously vanish. This cycle began long before them."
"Where did you find this evidence?" Ben asked, "I thought you said there wasn't any."
"I have been working on this for fifty years," Liara replied, looking over at Ben, "I have tracked down every scrap and shred of evidence. Eventually, subtle patterns started to emerge. Patterns to hint at the truth. It is difficult to explain it to someone else. I cannot pinpoint one specific thing to prove my case. It is more a feeling derived from a half-century of dedicated research. But I know I'm right, and eventually, I will be able to prove it. There were other civilizations before the Protheans. This cycle has repeated itself many times over." Ben listened to Liara's explanation with utmost intention. Every word she said, the way she said them, it all pointed out two things: first, that Professor Paradox was right; and second, this woman was clearly passionate about her interests, another trait she shared with… Ben shook his head and tried to dismiss those thoughts. Just then, Shepard spoke up.
"So who came before them?" He asked.
"I don't know," Liara replied, "There is barely any evidence on the Protheans. Even less on those who came before them. I cannot prove my theory, but I know I'm right. The galaxy is built on a cycle of extinction. Each time a great civilization rises up; it is suddenly and violently cast down. Only ruins survive. The Protheans rose up from a single world until their empire spanned across the galaxy. Yet even they climbed to the top of the ruins of those who came before them. Their greatest achievements – the Mass Relays and the Citadel – are based on the technology of those who came before them. And then, like all the other forgotten civilizations in galactic history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to finding out why."
"And I know why," Shepard said, "They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines called the Reapers." Liara was caught completely off guard by Shepard's theory.
"The… the Reapers? But I have never heard of… How do you know this? What evidence do you have?" She asked as she looked Shepard dead in the eye.
"There was a damaged Prothean beacon back on Eden Prime," Shepard explained, "It burned a vision into my brain. I'm still trying to sort out what it all means." Liara started to contemplate Shepard's words.
"Visions?" she wondered out loud, "Yes…that makes sense. The beacons were designed to transmit directly into the mind of the user. Finding one that still works is extremely rare. No wonder the Geth attacked Eden Prime. The chance to acquire a working beacon, even a damaged one, is worth the risk. But the beacons were only meant to interact with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would have been confused, unclear. I am amazed you were able to make sense of it at all. The process would have destroyed a lesser mind. You are remarkably strong-willed, Commander." Suddenly, Liara was cut off.
"Okay, this isn't helping us find Saren, or the Conduit," Ashley snapped, earning her another icy glare from Ben.
"Of course, you're right," Liara admitted, "I'm sorry, but my scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I do not have any information that could help you find the Conduit, or Saren."
"I don't know why Saren wanted you out of the picture, but I think we'll be a lot better off by bringing you along," Shepard said.
"Thank you, Commander," Liara replied, "Saren might come after me again, and I can't think of any safer place than on your ship. And my knowledge of the Protheans may be useful later on."
"And her biotics may come in handy when the fighting starts," Wrex added.
"Besides, we could always use another set of hands," Ben said, to which Liara looked at him with the slightest hint of a blush on her face.
"Good to have you on the team, Liara," Shepard said warmly.
"Thank you, Commander," Liara returned, "I am very grate-" Suddenly Liara wobbled a bit as she put her hand on her head.
"Are you alright?" Ben asked.
"I am fine, just a bit lightheaded," Liara answered.
"When was the last time you ate? Or slept? Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you," Kaidan said.
"It is probably just mental exhaustion," Liara replied, "Coupled with the shock of the Protheans' true fate. I still need some time to process this. Still, it would not hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me some time to think things over. Are we done here, Commander?" Shepard nodded.
"We can talk after you've seen the doctor," He said, "The rest of you… dismissed!" Liara looked over at Ben before she left.
"Would you also mind stopping by?" She asked, "I'd really like to hear about those strange creatures I saw you transform into back on Therum." Ben nodded.
"Sure thing," He said. Just then, Joker's voice rang over the intercom.
"Mission reports are filed, Commander. Want me to patch you and Ben through to the Council?" the pilot asked.
"Patch them through, Joker," Shepard replied, though Ben detected a hint of reluctance in his voice. A minute later, Ben and Shepard found themselves facing the holographic images of the Councilors.
"We've received your report, Commander," Tevos said, "I understand that Dr. T'Soni is on the Normandy."
"I assume you're taking the necessary security precautions?" Sparatus asked. Shepard and Ben both narrowed their eyes at the Turian Councilor.
"Liara's on our side," Shepard retorted, "The Geth were trying to kill her."
"Benezia would never allow Saren to kill her own daughter," Tevos argued.
"Maybe she doesn't know," Valern said.
"Or maybe we don't know her," Sparatus replied, "We never expected her to become a traitor."
"At least the mission was a success," Valern commended, something to which Ben could agree with him on. Sparatus, however, ruined his mood.
"Aside from the utter destruction of a major Prothean ruin," the Turian growled, "Was that really necessary, Shepard?" At this point, Ben finally had it.
"For your information, Councilor, we didn't have anything to do with that ruin's destruction," Ben angrily retorted, "Liara was trapped in a security field and the Geth were trying various means of breaking her out. Apparently they didn't know how unstable both the ruins and the terrain were, because when we rescued her, we ended up running for our lives as a volcano erupted around us. If you ask me, we were just lucky to get out of there alive."
"Ben's right," Shepard supported, "Even if the Geth weren't there, that volcano still would've erupted."
"Of course, Commander," Valern agreed, "The mission must always take priority."
"Good luck, Commander. And to you as well, Mr. Tennyson," Tevos said, "Remember, we are all counting on you." With that, the holograms faded, leaving the two men in the empty room. After a moment of silence, Shepard looked over at Ben.
"So, what are you going to do next?" Shepard asked.
"Four things are on my mind right now," Ben replied, "Take a shower, get some food, check on Liara, and then get some much-needed shut-eye." Shepard chuckled.
"I'm with you on that one," The commander agreed. With that, they walked out of the CIC and proceeded with their downtime plans.
…
Well, that's a wrap on Chapter 4. Yay! Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this chapter because the mission to Therum gave me so many opportunities to really have Ben bring out the best of his abilities and work his way around with the team. As for the name I used for Toepick's species, I made it up based on his appearance and his power. I also made some slight changes to the way Ben uses Toepick in battle, mainly the combat itself. Since enhanced strength and endurance seem to be standard issue for Ben's aliens, I figured that Toepick could at least have those along with his initial power. Also, as for his interactions with Ashley, I agree with The Prime Writer when I say that Ashley will be the hardest crewmate for Ben to form a friendship with because of her blunt personality and her borderline-racist attitude toward other species. For the next chapter, I just have one question for you:
Who wants to see Ben take on a Thresher Maw?
As always, read, enjoy, and review!
P.S., free digital cookies for anyone who can figure out the references I used in this chapter.