Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 6

They gathered in the room, staring at the data they had on Therum. Tim's ship had beaten them there on his orders, adding brand new data to the records they had. He really did need to name it at some point.

"I don't like it," Alenko murmured. "Where is everyone?"

"Looks like Saren beat us here," Shepard responded, frowning.

"The Heretics are still there, they haven't found Dr T'Soni yet," Tim pointed out.

"You're sure?" the Commander asked, and he nodded.

"We can detect them but unfortunately, it means they can do the same. So, they know we're coming," he explained. His ship had excellent stealth capabilities but as soon as they scanned for Heretic signals their own were revealed. "We could try taking them out with the ships' guns but we risk destabilising and collapsing the mine in the process."

"Agreed, we'll need to go down on foot…here," Shepard pointed at a spot on the map. "That should be far enough out to not come under immediate fire."

The briefing continued on, in a mine, the whole team could be too much since they didn't know just how restricted the space would be. Because of that, they left Wrex off the team, the Krogan grumbling at that but accepting. It ended up Shepard, Tim, Alenko, Garrus, and Tali. Williams and Wrex would wait to back them up if needed.

The Normandy flew in low and fast, dropping the Mako, and Tim held on tight…his grip tightening further as Shepard began to drive.

Tali yelped as she was flung across the back bench seat, slamming into Tim's side. He grabbed her to steady her, feeling her tense. "Let go," she growled.

"Easy," Tim murmured, but he let her go, only for her to slam into Alenko as Shepard took a corner way too fast. Did he not see the lava?

"Spirits!" Garrus was also clinging tightly in the front passenger seat.

They were going to crash before ever reaching the dig site! Tim reached out, connecting to the Mako's systems, and took over.

"I've lost control!" Shepard called out in alarm.

"I took it so you don't kill us all," Tim answered, he'd been driving since he was thirteen after all. It felt strange to not have controls under his hands, but the systems were simpler than those of his ship. The Mako straightened out and drove far more sensibly.

"Next time, warn me," the Commander growled.

"Sure," Tim agreed easily.

"No offence sir, but who taught you to drive?" Alenko muttered, Garrus chuckling.

"I passed my training with flying colours," Shepard answered, surely pouting behind his helmet.

With Tim steering, he at least left the gun to Shepard, and they powered through the Heretic ambushes, soon reaching the end of the line for the Mako. Alenko signalled the location to the Normandy and they headed in on foot.

Tim's ship could have cleared a path for them but it had been decided by the group that it was too risky, the maps of the mines and dig they had weren't up to date enough to trust. Who knew what Prothean artifacts were done there. Tim had agreed with them, though if it came down to lives being at risk, he'd call the ship in.


Tali shot down another Geth, watching the Geth collaborator carefully. What was his purpose? She didn't believe a word of his story about the Geth splitting into two factions, of one wanting peace. It wasn't possible and she would make sure he couldn't betray them to Saren.

The Geth seemed intent on stopping them from entering the mines, which did suggest he was right about Dr T'Soni still being somewhere in there. Hopefully she was alive and they would get answers.

What really scared her? She didn't recognise some of the Geth types and that shouldn't be possible.


Kaidan sent a Geth flying and Dr…Tim shot it, he had very good aim. Garrus had taken a sniper position, but it was the massive one at the other end of the area that really had him worried. "Tim! What is that?"

"Armature!" the teen answered, lashing out with his own biotics. "Little brother of the Colossus we saw on the road in. Don't get hit! Anyone have Tungsten ammo?"

"Got it," he called back swapping out his ammo, hearing Shepard do the same. Sure, enough their shots seemed to be doing some damage now.

The ones that jumped around were a pain as well, hard to hit. And Drake-Wayne's method…he literally tackled one! What the hell?


Tim hit the stalker hard, sending them both rolling but he was already acting, omni-blade extending from his omni-tool, ready to sever vital connections. Apparently, very few made use of the weapon since fights tended to stay at a distance, but Tim was used to close range fighting. While Tim was mid swing, the platform beneath him shut down, the Heretics abandoning the hardware since it was about to be rendered inoperable. He held his hand near the near invisible port, fighting not to flinch as the coiled wires emerged from his wrist, sinking in, transferring Geth programs. In a way, it was easy to ignore what had happened to him even if he looked in a mirror because he still looked like himself, but then something like this happened and he couldn't ignore it. As the download ended, Tim climbed off, the stalker coming back on line, leaping away to begin attacking the Heretics.

His ship didn't carry any platforms, only Geth platforms which left them unable to act physically beyond using the ship to do so. They had done so to keep him safer; it had been too risky in case someone wanted to search the ship. But the secret was partially out, fully out with the Normandy crew, so picking up some Heretic platforms to use would come in handy.

Soon, only the Armature was left, they were a pain to deal with on foot, and then he nodded as he realised. "Alenko, lift!" he called, hoping the soldier understood.

He did, their combined attacks hitting and lifting the Armature off the ground, the Geth stalker firing on it along with them. Floating in the air, it couldn't fight back against them and was soon destroyed, leaving them free to enter the mine, weapons ready.


Garrus stayed on the upper level, sniping the Heretics as they popped up to go after the others. It was more than a little creepy to have one of the things on their side, Tim had pulled some kind of writing instrument from an armour pocket and drawn a very large R on it so they would all know which was their ally. He really didn't like the way the whole place shook on and off, it was not stable. If it started to collapse, he could make it out, but the others?

"Get a move on," he muttered.

"Sorry, Shepard and Tim are arguing over using the giant laser," Alenko responded.

"The what?! Is Shepard crazy?" he demanded, because it had to be him wanting to use it. Tim seemed far more sensible than the N7 Spectre…and that was rather concerning.


"Uh… hello? Could someone help me please?" A nervous female reached them and they looked around, weapons at the ready. And there she was, Dr Liara T'Soni, apparently trapped in some kind of energy field.

"Dr. Liara T'Soni, I presume?" John asked, stepping closer to the energy barrier.

"Erm, yes. Can you help me? I'm trapped in here," she pleaded.

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" Kaidan asked.

"Listen, this thing I am in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it, alright?" She was obviously trying to stay calm, eyes wide.

"Your mother is working with Saren. Whose side are you on?" Shepard asked.

"I don't know anything about it," she shook her head. "All I know is that the Geth suddenly attacked and everyone else is dead. I locked myself in here to be safe."

"Alright, hold on, we're on the way," John assured her before they moved away.

"This elevator really doesn't look safe, Sir," Kaidan warned, looking it over, but it was the only way down. There was no access on this level or the ones above.

"We should probably make two trips to be safe," John agreed, even as Tim moved to the rail and looked down.

"Or we could jump and use biotics for the landing," he suggested.

Huh. John looked at Kaidan who looked surprised and a little sheepish. It wasn't his fault, the training was designed for combat use, not avoiding dangerous looking elevators.

Tim took a few steps back and then ran forward, leaping over the rail. They stood, watching him fall, and then his biotics lit up, slowly his fall until he landed. Tim turned and gave a thumbs up. "Who's next?" he called over comms.

John grimaced, he would have to go next, then Tali and Kaidan last, that meant a biotic on either end, and he knew that Tali wouldn't trust Tim to go first. He'd seen the way she kept looking at the teen and the stalker that the Geth had taken over. "Incoming," he warned, and then leapt.

John braced but then he felt it as Tim's biotics wrapped around him, slowing his descent so that he landed lightly on his feet. "Very smooth landing," he praised and he was sure the kid was blushing slightly under his helmet.

"Thanks," Tim murmured.

Tali was next and it seemed Kaidan had to give her a bit of an encouraging push, but Tim caught her as easily as he had John. Kaidan leapt after her, controlling his own fall as well as Tim had. It made sense, he had years of training behind his control, according to colony records Tim hadn't been a biotic, still latent likely, needing another exposure to trigger his abilities. And Tali was staring at Tim, body language still very hostile, that could end very badly if she didn't accept that the Geth were helping.

The looked around for some way to get to the other side of the area but all there was, was a mining laser. "We'll need to use this to dig through."

"Are you crazy? This place is already highly unstable," Tim argued.

"But there's no other way through," John pointed out.

"Sorry, Shepard and Tim are arguing over using the giant laser," Alenko muttered, obviously talking to Garrus.

They had to get through to get to the controls holding Dr T'Soni in place and this seemed to be the only way.

"And if this brings the mine down on us, then what?" Tim's arms were crossed.

He had a point, obviously. "Then how?" John asked.

They all looked around but, in the end, John was right so the laser was used, making a tunnel under the structure big enough for them to get through. On the other side, they climbed up to reach the young Asari, unable to see her face as she was held locked in the energy field.

Tim immediately moved to the control panel, examining it. "It's going to be a few minutes Doctor," he warned. Did Tim know Prothean, or the Geth?

"Ok, but there is a Krogan with the Geth. They have been trying to get to me for a while now," she warned.

"We didn't see any," he frowned.

"These ruins are extensive. They could be anywhere. Based on where you are now, you didn't come down through the structures main shaft."

No, that was what they had entered through their tunnel, and he staggered as the ground shook.

"Warned you," Tim murmured, hands flying over the controls.

"I believe the sequence you just input should do it if you hit that button," she told him, and Tim did so, the field failing.

Dr T'Soni landed, staggering, and John caught her. "Thank you."

"We need to get out of here," Tali called as the ground shook again.


'Information alert: The containment field is advanced Prothean technology. Acquisition of this technology could be of significant benefit.'

'This place is falling down around us and you want to study it now… while we get buried or incinerated?' Tim sent back in disbelief.

'Negative: Retrieval of the podium and one emitter should provide enough data.'

Tim grimaced but nodded and looked to the stalker. "See if you can pull up the podium, I'll grab an emitter," he said out loud as he headed for the emitter.

"Who is he talking to?" Liara asked, sounding worried.

"The Geth," Alenko shrugged.

"That is a real Geth?" She began to panic as she moved behind Shepard. "I thought you had just hacked it!"

"I guess you could say that," Alenko sounded amused, after all technically they could be considered hacked, just by the Geth.

"What are you doing?!" Liara forgot her fear as she saw the platform rip up the control panel and podium. "Those are priceless working Prothean artefacts!"

"Which are about to be buried under a ton of rock, Doctor," Alenko pointed out. "At least this way Tim is saving it for you."

"Still…" She protested weakly.

"Garrus, how's it looking up there?" Shepard commed Garrus, soon frowning. "He's pinned down, Geth and a Krogan."

"Looks like leaving's going to be exciting," Tali offered.

Tim grimaced, cutting in with his omni-blade, wishing for Damian's sword to make it easier. But he eventually worked the emitter free of its housing. "So, what's the plan?"

"The shaft will take us to the top," Shepard answered as he turned around and headed for the elevator.

They all quickly got on, the elevator moving up the shaft.

Liara turned to the group. "I still can't believe the Geth were after me. Do you think Benezia is involved?" She seemed rather bewildered.

"Saren's looking for the Conduit. You're a Prothean Expert. He probably wants you to help him find it," Tali reasoned.

"The Conduit? But I don't kno-" *boom*

The elevator shook from a distant explosion.

"These ruins are not stable. That mining laser must have triggered a seismic event," Liara explained.

"Not a word Tim," Shepard said firmly, before Tim could even open his mouth.

He'd been right, it was a crazy move. Something…something Bart would have done without thinking, then again, he could easily outrun the consequences. He pushed those painful thoughts aside, they were walking into another fight, he needed a clear head.

"Joker, lock on to my signal and get the Normandy here on the double!" Shepard ordered.

"Tim's ship is already there sir. It's hovering above the entrance to the mine. You might want to hurry though as the lava is beginning to churn."

"I don't suppose this thing goes any faster?" Tim asked as he looked at the control unit.

"No," Shepard shook his head, all of them on edge as they raced the rising lava.

Eventually, they arrived to find Garrus' opponents, Garrus was keeping them fairly well pinned down but was pinned in exchange by their greater fire power.

"Surrender! Or don't. That would be more fun." The Krogan shrugged with a smile.

"In case you didn't notice, this place is falling apart!" Shepard pointed out.

"Exhilarating, isn't it?"

They all opened fire, their stalker taking to the walls and ceiling to confuse the enemy as to where to shoot, taking its own shots. The Krogan was a pain but he eventually fell to their combined fire.

"Everybody head for the exit!" Shepard yelled.

They rushed for the entrance, leaping over collapsing metalwork and dodging fall rocks. They made it out in an explosion of dust to find Tim's ship hovering over them.

"Biotics!" Tim yelled, wrapping his own around Shepard and then leaping upward. He fumbled the landing a little but not too badly. Alenko appeared with Tali and then Liara with Garrus, the ramp shutting as the ship accelerated away.

"Welcome aboard," he offered.

"It's very…" Garrus trailed off.

"She's new, I haven't exactly had time to decorate," he grumbled.

"We're out Joker, on our way up," Shepard informed the Normandy.

"We see you. Tim, got some bad news, your ship took a bit of a beating, you've got some dents."

"This thing can survive micro meteors and mass effect fire. How could a little lava affect it?" He asked, bewildered.

"Because you didn't have your barriers up when we boarded," Tali answered, smirking at him. Maybe the others couldn't tell, but thanks to the Geth he could read her body language and enhanced vision gave him a better look through the face shield of her helmet.

"Oh, right," he murmured, feeling a bit idiotic.

"Commander, we have some bad news ourselves. The Mako was destroyed by lava and Geth before we could reach it. We'll need to get a new one if you intend to make more combat drops."

"I'll have the Geth put something better together," Tim offered quickly, that Mako was nothing compared to the Batmobile given the level of tech available. And it would be a good gesture of cooperation between them.

"Thank you," Alenko mouthed behind the Commander's back, and Tim smothered a smirk.


They gathered in the Normandy's conference room with the newly rescued Doctor Liara T'Soni, everyone relieved to be back on board and out of their armour. It had gotten rather toasty what with the lava and all.

"I'm an expert on Protheans, I've been studying them for nearly fifty years," she was explaining what she had been doing there and why Saren was hunting her.

"Fifty years? How old are you?" Ashley asked.

"I'm fairly young at only 106," Liara admitted with what passed for a blush on an Asari.

"Only?" Ashley asked.

"An Asari can live for up to a thousand years," Tim reminded her, "so can a Krogan."

"Hmph, is that all it's been?" Wrex muttered. "Seems like only yesterday I was killing my father for betraying me."

There was a stunned silence the Commander cleared his throat.

"Anyway, Saren wants the conduit. The conduit is something to do with Protheans and you are a Prothean expert. Right?" he summarised.

"That is a rather… simple summary of my entire life's work, but yes," Liara frowned.

"If it wasn't a summary, it wouldn't be simple, Doc." Ashley quipped. "What I want to know is what can she bring to the table? Does she have relevant intel or is this going to be a babysitting gig?"

"My knowledge of Protheans is unmatched!" Liara argued defensively. "Combined with my biotics I can be a fairly formidable fighter. I would also appreciate the opportunity to find out what my mother is up to," she admitted.

"We already know she isn't working with her mother." Tali pointed out. "They wouldn't have tried to kill her."

Shepard nodded. "Welcome aboard Doctor. I look forward to working with you. Alenko, take the Doctor to see the… Doctor Chakwas."

"Commander, I've got the Council on the line, want me to patch them through?"

"Go ahead."


Tali made sure she was alone, activating her omni-tool to go over the scans she had taken of the other ship, needing to work out what their plan was, but there was nothing. Had she made a mistake? But that wasn't like her. Was there something on the ship to keep it from being scanned? The Commander wouldn't listen to her without proof of duplicity, she needed something to show that the Geth could not be trusted.


Tim was surprised to find the observation room had undergone some basic renovations while they were planet side. The door was now lockable and there was storage set along one wall for his belongings.

"Well, you're the Emissary, which is basically an ambassadorial role, that kind of status rates your own room. You seem to like the window here according to the Commander," Adams, the chief engineer explained. "We didn't have enough time to finish the refit, and we need some more supplies from either an Alliance station or the Citadel."

"It's great, thanks." He'd slept in a lot worse places, everything from rooftops to the League of Assassins, even a shipping crate once.

"Well, we at least need to get you a bed, sleeping on a couch isn't good for your back."

"It's not so bad when your spine's metal," Tim admitted, and the nanites took care of any muscle cramps.

"Yeah…I'll keep mine thanks," the man shuddered slightly.

"I would have loved to keep mine," Tim murmured. "Thanks again Chief."

Once alone, he curled up on the couch, staring at the passing stars. A portion of his mind was focused on the replacement Mako issue while the rest was focused on continuing to learn history, Earth's yes, but as much of the galaxy as he could. There was so much he needed to learn; sure, he could get an instant answer from the Geth if it was something they had access to, but there was no guarantee there was nothing that could interfere with their signals.

He felt…lonely. He used to be used to such feelings, but he really had been alone in Drake Manor. Here, there were plenty of people around, he just didn't feel like he fit in. Maybe with some more time, more missions together, that would get better. He hoped it would.

They had a universe to save…was it wrong to want to go home?

TBC…