Chapter 12

I don't own Mass Effect or...wait that's my other story, okay I just don't own Mass Effect

As always thanks to anyone who reviews especially you Blaze

At the moment Callum isn't worried about someone copywriting the robots from Star Wars, it's just not a concern for him. If someone does he'll try to get something from it but knowing that in a couple years the Reapers will be arriving it's not something that he will spend a lot of time in court or something. Speaking of court my stalker is finally realizing that she can't do what she wants and has gotten in a lot of trouble. As for those Byrna pistol things they look amazing but I live in Australia so I'm not sure they're allowed.

As for your ammo backpack idea its a great one and I will use it, occasionally someone offers an idea and then I decide to think about using it. With your idea I immediately thought of Jorge from halo reach however the only people I really see using it is James from ME3 and maybe Jacob from ME2 or Grunt or Wrex but I already have guns lined up for those two. It will just be too heavy or big for most people on the Normandy to use easily and I'm sure that it will affect the wearers mobility and their agility. I already have an idea for spare ammo and increasing clip sizes and the like so the backpack and heavy gun (either a cyclone or revenant) will mostly be used as heavy artillery and not main forces (say out of a group of 6-10 soldiers only 1 would usually have it unless more where needed) I'll also modify the idea to include storing any overheated thermal clips from their teammates.

There will also be more andromeda mentions and maybe some guns or armour inspired by it but thats it, although I do have a couple of ideas of an andromeda story but that's a long way off but one idea is something along a space net to grow food (think of those plants growing on those towers in Singapore)

Story Start

After the call was finished, we continued to the colony, taking out a few more colonists on the way with either rubber bullets or an overload, we also took out a few more creepers, which were that much harder foe to deal with, but we still managed to take them down. However there were less than I'd expected, it seems that we'd already delt with most of the colonists that were sent our way and if I had to guess the majority of the creepers were guarding the Thorian which made sense...why waste recourses in the form of creepers protecting yourself when no one knew where you were hiding when instead you could save them for when you were found? There was also the fact that Shepard's group were probably dealing with a decent amount of creepers and colonists the same time we were, thus dividing the number we had to deal with by half. In fact the forces we encountered on the stairs were probably reinforcements to the group that was trying to deal with Shepard but were instead sent our way when the Thorian realised we managed to get off the ship.

Speaking of Shepard we'd probably be running into her soon as we just reached the front of the colony, as someone heard my thoughts gunfire erupted on the other side of the colony, the sight blocked by multiple housing units. The colony was significantly bigger than I remember from the game, and while it wasn't as big as the one at on Eden Prime I could picture 140 to nearly 200 people living here easily, by my count we had taken nearly 50 out on the way here if not slightly more. Going around them we were just in time to see the leader of Zhu's hope...Dan something if I remember right, stumbled out of nowhere and head towards Shepard

I couldn't hear what they were talking about from this distance but from how Dan was shakenly raising a pistol I was pretty sure I knew where this was going.

"OY DICK HEAD!" I shouted, saying the first thing that came to my mind

Next to me Solana give me a 'wtf' look. But it worked, hearing my shout Dan automatically started to turn towards me. He didn't get completely there though, one second Shepard was about 6 metres away, the next she was right in front of him leaving behind the tell-tale signs of a charge.

Grabbing the arm that was holding the pistol Shepard throws Dan (non-bioticly that is) over her shoulder and face first into the ground before knocking him out with a modified overload.

"Good thinking Callum, you distracted him at just the right time." said Shepard thankfully

"Did you have any trouble clearing the colonists or creepers?" asked Ash

"Not really, also we found out the gas grenades are good against the creepers. Since we found that out we've been saving them just in case and been using mainly the modified overload to take them out, Wrex got hit a couple of times though and that really helped his mood."

The only response Wrex gave was more grumbling

"So this Thorian, any idea where we can find it?" asked Solana

"Yeah, it's under the colony. We just don't know where but the entrance to it has to be around here somewhere otherwise they wouldn't be guarding this place, so spread out and look for it." ordered Shepard

It took some time but eventually, Tali found a set of controls that raised a storage container hiding the entrance and before going down we all made sure we all had either an airtight helmet or a rebreather mask. It took much longer to find our way through the catacombs below, it didn't show it in the game but the tunnels under the Colony were extensive but only a few showed signs of repeated use so eventually, we found our way to the overgrown...mutated, mushroomlike monstrosity known as the Thorian.

"Okay, I don't know what the fuck that is or how to describe it...but I'm pretty sure that's the Thorian." said Shepard after seeing it

As we made our way down to the Thorian I could only wonder one thing...where the fuck were all the creepers, in the game reality this place was thick full of creepers but here, here there were none to be found. This was where the Thorian was...so why wasn't it guarded top to bottom by creepers?

As we got closer to...the face? Of the Thorian it started to convulse before it spat or more accurately puked out an asari wearing armour that seemed...to be made up of plants? I guess it made sense, the asari from the game came out fully clothed, not naked, and if the Thorian can produce a copy of an asari...why not whatever she was wearing? Kevlar was basically fibre woven together tightly, something that the Thorian should definitely be able to do. It may not be able to reproduce kinetic barriers but armour? That it can do.

"I feel like this is the point where Liara needs to explain something to the group." said Ash

"What?" asked Liara in confusion before her eyes widened in realisation and a faint blush appeared over her cheeks "That it not how asari are born!"

"Enough!" shouted the asari clone "You are in the presence of the Thorian and it demands you be awe! I will speak for the Old Growth as I did before, who amongst you shall speak for the rest?"

"Let me do all the talking." said Shepard quietly "I speak for the group, we're not here to cause trouble, we just want to know what Saren came here for."

"This 'Saren'" spat the clone "came to the Thorian promising trade, the Cipher in return for flesh. But after the deal was completed it betrayed the Thorian's kindness and showed his true nature. All meat and flesh share a nature, that they are only good for decomposing, fertiliser and tending to the Thorian's needs. Something they should feel honoured for being allowed to do."

It was easy to see that Ash really wanted to say something

"Well I'm not like Saren, we're actually on a mission to hunt him down and unlike him I will honour any deal we make in return for what you gave Saren and letting the colonists go...perhaps in some form of replacement." it might frowned on introducing foreign species to a planet where they weren't native, but if it took dropping boxes of pjaks to get the Thorian to release the colonists then Shepard was all for it. She honestly would rather force the Thorian to let the colonists go right now but as that likely wouldn't go over too well she decided to take a gentler approach. In the end as long as the colonists were free it didn't really matter and she hoped the fact that each colonist was knocked out played in her favour.

"NO!" responded the clone angrily as her arm began to glow with biotics "No longer will the Thorian listen to those beneath it, no longer will it consider their meek pleas! You will either serve the Thorian or your bodies will be broken down as food. This is the only deal the Thorian will give you!"

BANG

Instantly the whole room became silent as 2 dollar coin sized whole appeared in her head before she fell to the ground and slowly slid off the ground into the darkness below. As one everyone turned to look at me, holding my still overheated pistol.

"...what the conversation was getting boring." I said 'renegade for life bitches!'

"Hhrrraaa." sighed Shepard "Remember me saying that I would do all the talking?"

"Yeah, but I was pretty sure that she was about to attack and that you were thinking of kicking her into the hole." I answered

"Was it really that obvious?" asked Shepard

"Commander might have a problem." interrupted Ash pointing up

"What...oh shit." said Shepard

Wherever they had been hiding the creepers weren't hiding anymore as they started streaming in from nowhere, I swear I even saw a couple clawing out of the wall.

"Okay ideas people!" ordered Shepard quickly

"Our guns aren't big enough to kill it but we might be able to cut the tendrils holding it up." suggested Ash

"That leaves us without what Saren got." dismissed Shepard

"What about just cutting a few." offered Garrus "That way it might rethink about making a deal, if not..."

"Okay two teams..."

"Sorry to interrupt again but I think someone should stay here in case the Thorian pops out another asari."

"Wrex you're with Kaiden and Tali, Garrus you're with me and Liara. Callum, Ash and Solana you stay here, give each team covering fire while you're at it and also be ready to support if either team starts getting overwhelmed." ordered Shepard

With that we split up, Wrex and his group going left, Shepard and her group going right while Solana, Ash and me stayed where we were.

Shortly after they left, the Thorian popped out another clone which I immediately took her out with a one-shot before she hit the ground. It was complete over kill but I wasn't going to take any chances. She was vulnerable before she hit the ground and I wasn't keen on seeing who would win if we had to go one-on-one.

While my gun was still cooling down I lobbed a singularity over to the left where someone (I assumed Kaiden) detonated it after it had drawn in a number of creepers. After that Ash and Solana continued to provide some support while also taking out any creepers that headed for us, I on the, on the other hand, took out a few more clones and from the sound of it both teams took out at least one tendril.

Things were bound to change however and when the next clone came out she came out ready. As with the others I aimed directly at the head, however she must have seen this coming as she used her biotics to increase her weight causing her to fall much faster than the previous clones causing my bullet to completely miss. Seeing what had happened Solana switched focus and opened fire causing the clone to pause to create a barrier. That was all the opening I needed, quickly holstering my pistol I pulled out my sword and knocked the legs out from under her with the flat of my blade.

When she was down I put my foot on her chest to keep her down and planted my sword near her head, while Shepard was talking to the clone I had an idea, what if the Thorian lived? As far as I knew the asari the Thorian was using as a base for the clone was the only one to come back from full-blown indoctrination...what if, what if someone was able to create some sort of anti-body or the equivalent of one as a cure.

"Make a deal, trust me it's in the Thorian's best interests."

"Why should the Old Growth concern itself in your matters!" shot the clone

"The Old Growth might not be concerned with us, Saren or the Reapers but the Thorian will be a concern for the Reapers." I responded

"Explain!" demanded the clone, not carring that either my sword or the guns of both Solana and Ash that were trained on her could easily end her life

"Do you know why Saren wanted to kill and destroy the Thorian?" I asked

"Saren is bound by the limits of fleshlings and was jealous of the Old Growths' power and wisdom!"

"Your almost right, tell me what would you do if I knew some sort of weakness that the Thorian had?" I asked, the look the clone gave me was all the answer I needed "Or if I simply knew that the Thorian was here, as little as a few years ago I could have made sure than no colonists came close, which would have meant no thralls."

"Make your point." said the clone impatiently

"The Reapers, aka the guys that Saren seems to be working for or trying to bring back seem to have a thing about wiping out species and then wiping out any evidence of them or how they died. You were here when they went extinct weren't you?" I asked

"As we told the betrayer, the Old Growth was awake when these 'Protheans' lived above, then the Old Growth slept and when it awakened again they were gone."

"And that's probably the only reason the Thorian survived the Protheans extinction, the problem is Saren isn't stupid, his bosses aren't stupid and they know that it certainly isn't stupid. Even if the Thorian wasn't awake during the Prothean's extinction I'm willing to bet when it woke up there was still evidence pointing to how they died. And that's a problem, do you know how we know about the Reapers? We only have two sources, a device that Saren tried to destroy and it still blew up seconds after our leader went near and a hard drive that was taken from his allies, the Thorian is a third source so what do think is going to happen? The only one that even suspects that there is a cycle of destruction is our teammate and it got her laughed at, the Reapers already missed it once, thanks to Saren and the geth the Reapers will know that. They'll know they fucked up and with the long life of the Thorian, they'll also know it's likely that it will live to, or close to the next harvest. That's a massive problem, if it tells someone early enough then they can start preparing, or maybe the Thorian will decide that it doesn't want to lose its thralls, either way the Reapers seem to like taking civilisation by surprise to make it easier. The Reapers will see the Thorian as a problem, and thanks to either Saren or the geth they will know exactly were it is. Even if it is somehow able to survive the Reapers or even the massive fall that it is certainly about to get or it can regrow from it's roots the Reapers will poison the ground and pollute the air to make 100% sure that not only you are dead but that any other Thorian's will be killed off. Which would also likely kill any backups you put in place to survive or produce a new Thorian no matter how far under the surface you put it. Then they'll also start scanning other planets for any evidence of other Thorians, even if you beat us, and that's a big if, there is no way you can deal with the Reapers. But if you give us what we need, we can deal with the Reapers for you, and even if we don't succeed the amount of time we could buy the Thorian would be extremely useful. If you want you could think of it as us working for the Thorian. So what will it be? Deal or no deal?"

"The Old Growth will...speak with your leader." said the clone slowly

"Commander, it seems that the Thorian is willing to listen to a deal." said Ash over comms

"Sweet, what made it change it's mind?" asked Shepard

"Callum seemed to convince it." answered Ash

"Hmm, okay good job we're on our way down. Wrex meet us down there to, but watch your back."

It took some time for Shepard and the others to make it back down but eventually, she did.

"So you ready to make a deal?" asked Shepard the clone, who was still being held down by not only my foot but Solana's too

"What do you offer?" asked/demanded the clone

"Enough pijaks to replace the colonists and anyone else you have under control." offered Shepard

"Pijaks would be...adequate." responded the clone "What else?"

"Else? What else do you want?" asked Shepard

"That if the Old Growth calls, you will answer." said the clone "Your...follower pointed out the threat these...Reapers pose to it, if they attempt to harm the Old Growth you will come to its aid."

"Fine." agreed Shepard reluctantly "Is that all?"

"...no, the Old Growth also wants me to...join your team." said the clone in confusion

"Why would it want that?" asked Shepard

"I am the mouthpiece of the Thorian, I do not question its wishes." answered the clone resolutely

"It probably wants to keep an eye on us to make sure we don't double cross it like Saren did." remarked Garrus

"And if say no to that?" asked Shepard, already expecting the answer

"It is this or no deal, the Old Growth will not concede." said the clone, brokering no argument

"Fine, but if you try something, I'll immediately throw you out of the airlock and into an orbiting sun...understood?" asked Shepard

"Understood." answered the clone

"Okay let her up." ordered Shepard

After the clone stood up Shepard continued "But while you're on my ship you'll listen to me, not the Thorian. If you have a problem with that you can stay here and I'll find some other way to get what I need. I'll also need you to think for yourself."

"The Old Growth...agrees as long as you do not seek to harm the Old Growth any order you give I will treat as if it came from it."

"The Thorian will let you go...just like that?" asked Shepard sceptically

"I am only needed to warn the Old Growth of any threats against it and possibly act as it vessel of revenge. As long as that is done the Old Growth will not care how I occupy my time or what I do." answered the clone

"Alright, now can you tell me what Saren came here for?" eager to find out what this was all for

"Saren saught knowledge of those that came before, the Old Growth was here when they arrived, was here when they lived and multiplied and it was here when they died." said the clone

"It knows how to think like a Prothean!" exclaimed Liara excitedly

"Yes." answered the clone, looking annoyed at the interruption "He called it the Cypher, said it was needed to understand the beacon's message."

"So it will allow me fully understand the visions, well I'm ready when you are." responded Shepard

Unlike Liara the meld between the clone and Shepard was completely different. With Liara there was a sense of...serenity about it, something special and unique, with the clone however it was just functional. The clone simply walked over to Shepard and placed her head against hers.

"..."

"There it is done." said the clone

"Commander...did it work?" asked Ash

"I think so, the message seems clearer but, it's like pieces are missing." answered Shepard after she steadied herself

"The beacon must have been damaged, or you may have only received only part of the message before it exploded." theoriesed Liara

"So I need to get ahold of another beacon that contained the same message. Liara, your the expert any idea where I can get that?" asked Shepard

"I'm afraid I don't know. While I know there are a number of beacons found, I even once had the honour of speaking to a matriarch who found one herself however...they are kept under lock and key and their number is even a bigger secret than the number of Spectres. To even get close to one needs months if not years of petitions and multiple references from high level individuals, either from a university, government or private research. I could spend my next half century of life trying and still not get permission, and even if you get permission to get close to one, it may not hold the same message that you are looking for. While beacons were made to deliver information over a network at once it was quite different in practice. While from what I know a lot of beacons shared a certain amount of similar information it wasn't uncommon for one beacon to old a set of information that was unique to it alone. There is also the problem that most of them are scanned using electronics over melding with them, partially because only asari can meld and if say a salarian research team wants to keep things quite it becomes quite hard to do. But as this was not the way they were intended to use progress is usually slow and it is easy to miss the indications Protheans gave to important or vital information. The fact that each team rarely shares there full findings often makes it even harder."

"So not only will it be incredibly hard to get to a beacon but it's also likely that most beacons will not have what we need?" asked Shepard outloud

"The Old Growth believes Saren has access to another beacon." said the clone

"Really? You're sure?" asked Kaiden sceptically

"I agree, if beacons are so rare how come Sarens got another one up his sleeves that just so happens to have the information he needs." agreed Ash

"When the betrayer came here he said he needed the Cypher to access a beacon, that one" said the clone pointing at me "said the beacon was destroyed, but Saren acted like the Cypher was needed for a beacon that was still intact." said the clone speaking up

"So it's either Saren has another beacon or he got the full message and I didn't." said Shepard

"He is a Spectre and trust me, he's got a lot of contacts so I wouldn't be surprised if he's got another beacon." spoke up Wrex

"I agree." said Garrus "Plus he has the geth, there's no telling how many beacons the geth could have found or heard about in the last 300 years."

"Either way" interrupted Shepard "it seems that we once again have a reason to track down Saren."

"What will you do now?" asked the clone carefully

"I'm a woman of my word so you're with us for now." said Shepard before turning around and leaving

By the time we reached the surface most of the colonists seem to be waking up.

"Fai Dan are you okay?" asked Shepard

"Commander?" asked Dan confused "What happened? Last thing I remember was the it telling me to kill you before..."

"Before you tried to kill yourself to break free of its control. Speaking of control are you free from its control?" asked Shepard

"...yes. I can still feel it there in the back of my mind, but it's just sitting there. Like it's watching from the sidelines and that's it...what happened?"

"I made a deal with the Thorian in return for the release of you guys and what he gave Saren. Do you feel free?"

"I, I'm not sure. It doesn't feel like before the Thorian came into our lives but neither does it feel like when it was controlling us. Before it was like I was connected to the Thorian by a chain, that chain is gone. It's hard to describe but it feels like there is still a connection between us but it's gone from being a chain to a thread."

"Care to explain?" Shepherd asked the clone

"Even when a root withers it still connects the ground to the tree." answered the clone

"Hhhhr...so your telling me that the colonists will always be connected to the Thorian?" asked Shepard, annoyance in her voice

"In time it may fade more but it may not ever completely go away. There have been times where a...vassal of the Old Growth has wondered off and not returned." clarified the clone

"Um...who's this?" asked Fai Dan pointing at the clone

"Short answer, she the asari version of those plant people." answered Shepard and immediatley Dan looks at the clone with suspicion

"And she's with you...why?" asked Dan

"It's part of the deal I made with the Thorian, however now I'm not sure if it's keeping it's part of the deal." answered Shepard, much to the anger of the clone

"The Old Growth has kept it's word, no longer will it control the actions of these fleshlings nor will it try to regain control them or others."

"It may not mean much, but if it was me and I was trying to hide the fact I still had these guys under control I would start by stopping them from saying there was still a connection." said Wrex helpfully

"Plus the colonists have already been infected with the spores, the Thorian can't help what's already happened." added on Kaiden

"You have a point. We have a bunch of probes on the Normandy that can monitor all sorts of atmosphere conditions, I'll have one set here or somewhere else if you plan on moving. FYI part of the deal I made was dropping off bunches of pyjaks so even if the Thorian may not wish to control you, you may still get some exposure to the spores since you are directly above it. It seems at least for now that we just have to assume that you're free."

"I'll talk to the others about moving. I can't promise anything though as it was quite hard getting this colony as far as we have, a lot of people wouldn't want to start that all over again. But at the same time a lot of people don't want to live over a plant that controlled what and when they did something." said Fai Dan

"Play it by ear, besides you might be able to sue Exo-geni for enough money to restart the colony here or elsewhere." said Shepard

"Thank you, commander...for everything." responded Fai Dan

After the probe had been dropped off and set up (so that if anyone tried to tamper with it, it would immediately alert the Normandy) they boarded the Normandy and left before meeting in the Comms room.

"Is it just me or do we seem to be gathering all sorts?" asked Kaiden

The comms room was started to get quite crowded, aside from the clone everyone had a seat.

"You're right, hell we even have a green asari." agreed Shepard "Speaking of which, what do we call you?"

"I am the mouthpiece for the Old Growth and will continue to speak for it, although the Old Growth may wish to replace me in time as I'll no longer be able provide it with my full attention." said the clone

"Well, mouth piece of the Old Growth is a bit long winded, we'll need a name." responded Shepard

"Why?" asked the clone

"Fleshlings like us use names to distinguish one from another, we're weird that way." said Shepard sarcastically

"...very well but he will be the one to chose my name." said the clone pointing at me

"Why him?" asked Ash

"Out of all of you, he was the only one to gain the interest of the Old Growth, it feels that there is something...special about it, even though he is still only made of flesh. If I to be given a name to be known by he should be the one to choice." said the clone

"Well Callum, any ideas?" asked Shepard

"...Gamora, Gamora...wait let me check something." I paused looking something up on the extranet "Gamora Rose Isley."

"E-excuse me but it might sound more asari as Is'ley, not Isley." spoke up Liara

"She's green." deadpanned Garrus much to Liara's embarrassment "I doubt a name is going to make her stick her out anymore."

"Nevermind, Gamora go get checked out by our doctor, Kaiden will show you the way. After that go get cleaned up and we'll work on an identity and make up a story about why your skin's green."

"Maybe she got injected with some sort of chemical." joked Kaiden much to the confusion and odd looks from everyone else, telling me that he at the very least recognised where the name Isley came from.

"...okay...anyway it became obvious to me today that our weapons are no longer up to the task. Which is why we're heading back to the Citadel, my idea is that we that we go to the same store Callum got his gun from and get at least four weapons to be used by whoever's on the ground or modify each person's favourite weapon. I'll be using the funds we got for killing the thresher maw to pay for them. I'm not sure how far it can streach but since Callum already has a weapon and I heard Wrex is already getting one I'm hopeful, Wrex you're still okay to pay for your own gun?"

"Yeah yeah." grumbled Wrex

After the meeting was over I headed for the shower after having a quick meal, I wanted to see if anyone would be interested in another movie. I was thinking Deadpool, Wolverine or Crocodile Dundee or possibly something else I wasn't sure, I guess it depended on who was interested. Exiting the shower I saw a very green and very naked asari.

'Why the fuck does this keep happening to me?'

I bet none of you saw that coming, in truth the idea to this occurred to me quite late, and if I hadn't taken so long to write this chapter I'm pretty sure this chapter would have been a lot closer to cannon

Red and Blue Effect

When Shepard heard that there was plant that could mind control people she started to imagine what it would look like, if it would have a face, if it would try to eat someone. Hopefully one of the idiots that she had to put up with, which today included Tucker, Caboose and Griff.

What she wasn't expecting was a tea party that looked like it came straight out of Alice in Wonderland, among the party goers were two asari, one of which was green, a couple creepers and another guy in heavy armour, and stretched over that armour was a french maid outfit.

"Donut?" asked Tucker

"Guys?! OMG I can't believe your here, and just in time for wine and cheese hour, I also made my special brownies."

There was definitely something feminine with this guy's voice thought Shepard to herself.

"Listen I don't know what you're doing here but I need you to step away, you're near a mind-controlling plant and the plant men near you have been attacking us for the last half-an-hour." ordered Shepard

"Are you sure, I've been having the most wonderful time down here. People so rarely appreciate wine and cheese hour...Tela, Shiala more wine."

"Yes please." answered the none green one

"Yes I am sure." answered Shepard with gritted teeth "The colonists have been infected with spores that alter their behaviour, hell one guy just blew his ear off trying to off himself to free himself of the Thorian's control."

"Hold on, are these your usual brownies?" asked Griff

"Of course! I always use grandma's special ingredients!" exclaimed Donut sounding insulted

"Well now things make sense." said Griff with the others nodding in agreement

"...and why do things make sense?" asked Shepard, as usual knowing that she's going to hate the answer

"The brownies...their like pure LSD Commander, it knocks you back like nothing else." answered Griff "Trust me you do not want to know half the shit that goes on when someone has one."

"..."

"Hold on, is that why I ended up in the middle of nowhere naked and smelling of beetle juice while carrying a half-dead coyote singing Dancing Queen?" asked Tucker

"I don't see what the problem, everyone here has been loving them." defended Donut

"...so let me get this right, the colonist have been acting weird, not because of mind-controlling spores in the air...but because their tripping on LSD?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"I'm really starting to question the shit I have to go through because of you idiots." said Shepard