Chapter 21
"Janey..." Harry said into his communicator, failing to mute it in time when he started coughing.
"Harry?" Shepard asked.
"One sec..." Harry said, continuing to cough violently.
"You were exposed, weren't you." Shepard said looking unimpressed.
"Right in one. Tried to finite a smoke bomb, forgot to account for the bubble head charm. Rookie mistake." Harry said.
"Ok... What are our options?" Shepard asked, her brain going immediately into troubleshooting mode.
"I'm wearing a hardened hazard suit, just went through decon. There was only enough cure for the scientists." Harry said.
"You fucking asshole." Shepard said, before pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I'm sorry Janey." Harry responded.
"How long?" Jane asked
"About a week, but after this mission I plan on.. speeding it up." Harry said. Shepard's heart lurched when she heard this.
"Ok... it's gonna be ok..." Shepard said.
"I'll be fine Janey." Harry said
"I was saying that for my own benefit, jerk." Shepard said, the grin audible in her voice. She took a moment to collect herself.
"We're sure you'll come back?" Shepard said.
"Most definitely. Remember I've been through this three times before. Dragon pox after the Voldemort war, Anthrax during the second world war, and Pneumonia a couple years after the First Contact war." Harry said, pausing midway through to clear his throat.
"Ok. We move on as planned. The Asari went in after you like you thought she would." Shepard said.
"I know I can feel her following me. Once we're done here I'll incapacitate her and leave her by the airlock." Harry said.
"Got it. Meet you in the secure labs." Shepard said.
"Understood. Janey... listen.. this was a dumb mistake, I wasn't thinking clearly enough, it was stupid and I'm sorry." Harry said.
"I know. We'll talk about it later, ok?" Shepard said.
"Got it. See ya Janey." Harry said. He sighed. Once he comes back from this one he's in for an unpleasant conversation. He heard the acolyte creeping into the room behind him. He grinned and lifted his arms, stretching.
"Oh man I wish I didn't leave my gun in the hot labs... sure would be a bad time for someone to jump me..." Harry said dramatically.
"How long?" The Asari asked, stepping out of the shadows.
"Right after I released the scientists... you didn't harm them did you?" Harry asked.
"No... I am only here to protect the Matriarch. To that end...forgive me." The Asari said, raising her weapon. She hadn't got it all the way up before she was laying unconscious in front of Harry. He levitated her and carefully guided her over to the airlock, where he placed her sitting up with her back leaning against the wall.
"Now lets see. Jane Jane Jane Jane Jane Jane there she is!" Harry said, holding The Elder wand over where his temple would be if he weren't wearing a hermetically sealed helmet. With a twist and small pop he disappeared and reappeared right next to Garrus, who let out an undignified squeal.
"Sorry" Harry said with a grin.
"You bosh'tet!" Tali said, poking him in the side with her fingers.
"Oi!" Harry said indignantly.
"Did Commander Shepard explain the situation to you?" Harry asked. They all nodded.
"Shiala, I want you and Liara to stick with Harry, keep the Geth off him while he gets ready to help me with the Asari. Everyone else stay as far away from him as you can in case there's a suit breach during the fight. Wrex and Kaidan, I want you on crowd control. Ash and Garrus get up somewhere high and pick them off when you can. Tali, you're with me. Your job will be to make sure she doesn't wipe the servers in there while we're fighting, I'll watch your back. Understood?" Shepard asked
"Yes, Commander!" everyone said.
"Let's go." Shepard said, kicking the door into the secure labs opened. They spread out, making quick work of the few standard infantry Geth that had been posted near the entrance, moments later Garrus and Ash were up on storage crates while Wrex and Kaidan blasted into a group of infantry and stalkers that had been waiting for orders with a biotic charge. Shepard held her sidearm in her right hand and her wand in her left and cut a swath through the combatants, leading Tali straight to an unprotected terminal. Tali's shield lit up as a few small projectiles bounced off it so Shepard placed herself in the way and started casting protective charms.
"Commandos!" Garrus yelled.
"Harry!" Shepard yelled.
"On it!" Harry shouted. He attempted to stun them but there were too many Geth getting in the way.
"Huh... Why are they all in a group like that?" Harry asked.
"They 're shielding the Matriarch. Their shields and barriers are overlapping around her, it would take a miracle to get through that defense." Shiala said, raising her rifle and picking off a stalker that was about to drop down on them from the ceiling.
"That actually works to our favor." Harry said with a grin. He apparated right next to Benezia and smiled, withdrawing the modified amp device he'd been working on.
"Commandos!" Benezia roared. The Asari all turned and raised their weapons.
"Boop." Harry said, pressing the red button before disappearing again.
"Bright flash!" Harry shouted.
"What?" Wrex asked a second before the room was bathed in blinding white light. As it faded they saw a group of panicking Asari, waving their hands with no effect.
"Our turn Janey!" Harry said.
"Stupefy!" Shepard yelled, taking down one of the commandos. Wrex bellowed and blindly charged into a squad of Geth being lead by a pair of Primes, Kaidan collected the smaller units in a floating ball with a singularity.
"Go Shepard, I'll be fine." Tali said, working furiously on the terminal. Jane apparated away, stunning another command, ducking just in time for Harry's stupefy to fly over her head and collide with the last. Benezia scrambled away from them, terrified. She had been waving her arms wildly trying to conjure biotics that would not come to her.
"Mother!" Liara shouted, running past Harry and Shepard, just as the last Geth dropped to the ground, a smoking hole through its chest thanks to one of Garrus' explosive rounds.
"You'll never-" Benezia said.
"Stupefy!" Shepard cried, rendering the Matriarch unconscious.
"Commander!" Shiala cried, running to join Liara who had just caught her mother.
"She's under the same mind control. Harry and I could feel it." Shepard said. Shiala looked at Harry and he nodded.
"We need to get her to a hospital, preferably one with magical personnel, though we'll respect your choice if you wish to bring them to Thessia." Harry said, walking up to join them.
"Let's take them to see Elizabeth and Karin. Elizabeth knows magical medicine and Karin is well versed in Asari Physiology. Neither are likely to reveal Benezia's condition to the conclave of Matriarchs." Liara said. Shiala wanted to protest but gave in, remembering her own recovery from mind control and the help Karin had given her with it.
"Awesome. Now can someone do me a favor?" Harry asked.
"What?" Wrex asked, as he was standing closest.
"Make sure my helmet doesn't break." Harry said.
"Why- Shit." Wrex said, catching Harry as he lost consciousness.
"We've got to get him to the infirmary." Wrex said, lifting him easily off the ground.
"Unfortunately, that's not an option." Shepard said, looking extremely anxious.
"Why?" Wrex asked.
"He's infected with whatever they have in the hot labs, remember? He has to be quarantined until he d-dies." Shepard said, struggling with the last word.
"Keelah." Tali said.
"Bring him outside, please Wrex." Shepard said.
"Of course, Commander." Wrex said. They all went out side, Harry stirring occasionally to cough flecks of blood onto the glass of his helmet. Once they were at the docking bay, Shepard took Harry's bag and removed what looked like a toy space ship. She placed it on the ground and expanded it with her wand.
"Let's get him aboard and seal it up. Once he's awake he'll take her up and do what he's got to." Shepard said. Wrex carried him to his ship and placed him in the pilot's seat, before leaving and hitting the hatch control before jumping down off the ramp.
"Good work everyone. Let's get back to the Normandy." Shepard said emotionlessly, before turning and walking towards the gang plank. She was on autopilot, going through the decontamination cycle and returning to the armory to remove her armor and stow her weapons. Once she was showered and in a new uniform, she went to the infirmary which was overloaded with sleeping Asari. Karin was bouncing around checking vitals and Wrex stood there with what looked like a baton in his hand.
"What's that for?" Shepard asked, pointing at the baton. Wrex pulled a trigger on it and it produced an electric spark at the end.
"In case one of them wakes up and attacks Dr. Chakwas. I'm not interested in killing innocent brainwashed commandos." Wrex explained.
"Good call. Any news, Doc?" Shepard asked.
"They're all in peak health, their brain waves are erratic though You said they might be under the affects of some sort of mind control right?" Karin asked. Shepard nodded.
"We can't identify it. It's kind of like magic but feels completely different." Shepard said, struggling to find the words she was looking for.
"I wonder.." Karin said. She moved to the back of the infirmary and entered a code on a secured cabinet, she withdrew a pair of thin, flat wooden rings, which she placed around Benezia's wrists. She observed the brain scan and smiled.
"It worked! Those are suppressors, for keeping magicals in custody when the need arises. C-sec has them, and we keep them on ships as well. Her brain scans are normal now, can you wake her?" Chakwas asked.
"Wrex, stand by" Jane said. He nodded and approached.
"Ennervate" Shepard said. Benezia's eyes slowly opened and she groaned, clutching her head.
"Goddess.. wait. They're gone! I can't hear them!" Benezia said. She looked around and saw the two humans and Krogan looming over her.
"Please, do with me what you will, but please help my acolytes.. At first they were acting under my orders but Saren... that ship..." Benezia said, trailing off.
"You were under a form of Mind control, Matriarch. You're not to blame for your actions." Shepard said, activating her omnitool and speaking briefly into it.
"I'm commander Shepard, Commander of the SSV Normandy and a newly minted council spectre." Shepard said, offering her hand to help Benezia sit up. She took it gratefully, and looked confusedly at her hands.
"What are these?" Benezia asked.
"Magical Suppressors. We discovered the mind control Saren was using is similar to magic, the suppressors work to block it." Shepard explained.
"I should keep these on then. Do you have enough for my acolytes?" Benezia asked.
"No, but they're in reversible magically induced comas, we'll be bringing you and them to a clinic on Earth, so long as you consent. There Dr. Chakwas and her wife Elizabeth Chakwas will examine and treat you. Elizabeth is a mediwitch and a damn good one at that." Shepard said. Benezia was unable to respond as Liara and Shiala burst into the room. Liara leapt forward and took Benezia into her arms, weeping. Shiala knelt at her feet, her head bowed.
"Rise Shiala. I have been a very poor mentor to you." Benezia said.
"No you haven't, Matriarch. That was Saren's doing." Shiala said, smiling up at her mentor with tears in her eyes.
"We'll let you guys have a moment, but after I need to know what you were doing at Noveria and what you know about the Mu Relay." Shepard said.
"Of course, Commander. Your timing was impeccable, I was preparing to release the location of the relay to Saren when you got to us. I had just taken it... Goddess! The Rachni!" Benezia said.
"We had to kill a lot of them, I'm guessing ERCS will be sending sweeper teams to get the rest.
"No you don't understand. The drones were all under Saren's thrall. He left an object behind that allowed him to control them... and us. The queen however could not be controlled, so it is chained up in the secure labs. It was awful. I tortured her!" Benezia cried.
"No you didn't. Saren did. I'll go back and handle the Queen we can't have ERCS Getting their hands on her." Shepard said.
"I'll come with, if you'll have me Commander." Wrex said
"I'm not killing her, Wrex." Shepard warned.
"Commander, millions of my people died wiping them out. You saw what they did on Noveria. They breed like varren and can cover the surface of a planet in a year. The only way to deal with them is to put them down." Wrex protested.
"I heard similar arguments when I asked a Salarian spectre named Jondam Bau why they implemented the genophage. He even said Krogan 'bred like Varren'. If I engage in genocide, Wrex then I am the same as the Salarian and Turian assholes that cursed your people with that horrible disease." Shepard said, growling at him and looking him dead in the eye. Wrex hesitated then nodded.
"You're right. I can hardly criticize the Salarians and Turians for what they did if I'm willing to do the same... Just if this bites us in the ass, it's on your head." Wrex said.
"Agreed." Shepard said.
