Chapter 18: The Thorian
The Normandy ground team and the N7 team entered the colony proper and headed towards the leader Fai Dan. N7 splitting of to different parts of the colony where people were spotted. The N7's had armor on and ventilation masks on. "Fai Dan?" Dillion asked.
Fai Dan perked up. "Yes, are the Blue Suns dealt with?" He asked.
"Yes, we are here for the Thorian." Dillion told him.
The colonists tensed up and turned-on Dillion. The colonists reached for their weapons but stopped when gas grenades were dropped knocking the colonists out. Dillion punched Fai Dan sending him to the floor knocked out. They looked around and saw all the colonists knocked out.
4 hours earlier
Lizbeth was nervously looking at the Alliance soldiers. Nihlus was glaring at the scientist, "Explain!"
She stiffened. "Before I was brought in Exogeni was studying a sentient life form below the colony of Zhu's Hope."
"Say what." Williams said bewildered.
"You have a sentient life from below the colony that is a plant." Alenko said.
"And it also has control over the colonists." Lizbeth interjected.
"How?" Dillion asked.
"The Thorian, what we call it, has spores that infect the brain of it's potential thrall." She explained guilt evident in her voice. "I sent word to the Alliance, but the Blue Suns attacked while I was backing the files."
Lizbeth sent the files to the various soldiers. Shepard then sent copies to Alliance higher ups. Nihlus sent copies the council."Now to the next question on what are we going ot do now?" The spectre asked.
"We should evaluate this, Thorian; the council and the Alliance are going to be interested in it." Shepard said.
"But what about the colonists?" Lizbeth asked frantically.
"I may have a solution." An older woman in a lab coat said running towards Lizbeth.
"Mom!" Lizbeth exclaimed running toward her mother.
The two hugged tightly. No one wanted to ruin the moment but Dillion, Nihlus, and Shepard were worried about the sentient plant that has taken control of the colony. "Ahem."
"Oh right." Lizbeth's mother said awkwardly. "I may have solution to that problem."
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Williams asked.
"Juliana Baynham, I work in the growth labs."
"You have a solution to the thorian?" Alenko asked.
Juliana looked nervous. "Not the Thorian itself, but for those infected by the Thorian."
"What's your soluition doctor?" Nihlus asked.
"I work in the growth labs where I looked over spores…"
"This all fascinating, but can you get to the point time is of the essence?" Dillion asked impatiently.
"Right." She said nervously. "I have created something that can put anyone affected by the Thorian unconscious."
"How will it work?" Shepard asked.
"It's a gas that's designed to target the spores within the brain rendering those infected unconscious."
"That can work, we have been talking with the leader Fai Dan." Dillion explained. "They don't seem to realize that we know about the Thorian."
"Then lieutenant can you and your team deploy to the colony release the gas and secure the entrance to the Thorian, so that me and the ground team to confront the Thorian."
"Sounds like a plan." Dillion said in agreement.
The current time
The squad of N7's lead by Dillion were tying up the unconscious colonists while looking for an entrance to the Thorian's territory. "Lieutenant, I think I found the entrance." One of them shouted in front of controls of a crane.
The four slowly made their way through the cave. "So, when we encounter this plant do we take it… out." Williams said as she looked up to see a large plant that looks like a brown squid.
The four looked up shocked about the sure size of the plant. The plant was the size of a three-story building. Slowly one of the tendrils squeezed out a green asari. "Who dares trespass in my domain?"
The four stared at the Asari. Shepard approached the odd Asari. "This is Commander Shepard of the Alliance, we demand that you release everyone in your control."
"I do not concern myself with the will of lesser, you all die like those that came before you." The green one said before using her biotics to attack the ground team.
Sheppard dodged the biotic push as the ground team attacked the Asari killing her. The four looked around and noticed that the thorian is connected to the wall through its tendrils. They heard growls on their right. "Let's move!" Shepard ordered charging into the fray.
They went to the first tendril an encountered three skeletal like beings growling an charging at them. The team took the zombie like creatures out before destroying the first tendril. They continued moving killing more creepers and green Asari.
After the four tendrils were destroyed the thorian fell down the bottomless pit that it was suspended above. The ground team was panting. They slowly made their way down to the starting point.
Before they leave the cave they heard a squishing sound and looked over to see a blue Asari come out of a tendril. "By the goddess it's good to finally be free." She said stretching her arms up.
Williams raised her rifle at the Asari, only to have it pushed down lightly by Shepard. "I take it the Thorian was holding you captive?" Shepard asked her.
"Yes, my name is Shiala."
"I am Commander Shpard this is Spectre Nihlus, Lt. Alenko, and Chief Williams." Sheppard introduced. "I take it you were sent here?"
"I am a commando under Matriarch Bennezia T'soni." She started explaining. "I was sent to investigate Exogeni."
"Why would a powerful matriarch send you to investigate?" Nihlus asked suspiciously.
"Matriarch Benezia is a share holder of Exogeni." She explained. "She tried accessing information; however, they were not forthcoming on it and assumed that there was someone skimming funds."
"Make sense." Nihlus said.
"How did you get trapped by the thorian?" Shepard asked.
"I don't know." Shiala said. "I was asleep in my bed, then I am being sucked into the tendril of the thorian."
"Do you remember anything while you were inside?" Alenko asked.
"Bits and pieces, I was mostly in a daze barely knowing my own situation." Shiala admitted. "But if it's alright with you I wish to stay and help if I can."
Shepard looked at the newly freed Asari. "I imagine that they are going to need as much help as they can get." Shepard said.
"Thank you, I will contact Matriarch Benezia to let her know of my intentions and give her my report."
The five exited the cavern to see the colonists groggily wake up still restrained. "The thorian is dead, the colonists should be out of its influence."
The N7's nodded and started releasing the colonists. They started to groggily rub their wrists and ankles. "What happened?" Some asked.
Others were rubbing their heads looking at the N7's. The leader, Fai Dan, was starting to weep and sob. "I'm sorry, I tried to fight to find some way to stop that thing."
Fai Dan was on the floor crying his eyes out. Shiala walked over to him and enveloped him in a hug. Everything was silent as the Asari allowed the human to cry into her shoulder.
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