Mass Effect: Augment

Chapter 8: Into the Fire

“Wrex! You told me you could drive this piece of shit!”

“I told you I could drive anything Sheppard! Not that I could do it well!”

“If I didn’t find that goddamned hilarious I would shoot you and let Atom take the wheel!”

“Do it, please fucking do it!’

“I can’t take anymore!”

“Going Up! HAHAHA!” Wrex said as he hit yet another pothole in the terrain at maximum speed.

It dipped the front down, and shot it back up at a near perpendicular angle with the ground. It slammed back level, and Wrex hit the boost again out of it, and thankfully found some flatter ground. This was all of course after the already rough drop. He sped down the track, there already being some roads from old mining complexes. The Mako reached it top speed again as the passengers in the back nearly cried, and Jon crushed his handhold next to his seat. At least the harnesses were good.

Wrex was realistically the only one that could drive the thing, much to Jon’s now chagrin. For some reason, the designers made the seat big enough to fit a Krogan, or Jon in his Mk. 3, but nowhere else in the vehicle. Not even the copilot seat with the plasma repeater he was at. As a consequence, he was in a custom hard suit with Alliance spec armor and barriers. After first contact and they got a look at the hacked designs, they determined the overall form and pattern to be good enough for troopers, instead of outfitting everyone with Mk. 2 like some were proposing.

The CEO of the revived west-tek, an Atom Cat running their corporate front, felt real jerked around by it, but he was a cool cat and understood. The savings on resources to preform the same absolutely necessary function and main reason for the contract, of being sealed from the environment and vacuum, was just too sweet for the Alliance squares to pass up. The hard suits did the job, did it well, did it for a third of the cost, so he slid right into the market for the pirated gear like any smooth businessman would. After all, plate is plate, and scratch is scratch.

Jon trusted his Atom Cat custom more than his own creation at that moment. The enemy already showed the ability, and so did a random beacon, to use his advanced technology against him. He would not want to be locked in his own suit because it was hijacked and the gel layer frozen, or worse used to rip him apart.

The Mako came to an abrupt halt, jarring his errant thoughts. The IFV was taking hits, and Jon was on the ball with the repeater in his hand the whole time. There was heavy turret front and center and he hit it up as Garrus worked the main gun in his seat terminal directly behind the driver.

A shot from the cannon, and a final burst from Jon ended the threat. In the time the Mako took a couple hits, and the barriers held well against the short barrage, not even beginning to test the nano-scapl. Wrex shot forward again with the boost and charged straight into the next clearing. Jon had not time or will to argue or give orders. He was having fun on some level, but he wished that Krogan would simply crash head first into the volcano near by to end the misery or his donuts thought the small complex.

Jon was thankfully fast on the pick up and trigger, and gave the Geth bursts whenever he could. Garrus wasn’t even trying to aim, simply keeping the turret forward and firing when it cooled off and reloaded, not long Jon judged. If nothing else the maneuvers were doing a good job of dogging the fire, in particular their missiles that moved at a predictable pace and trajectory. The rest of the passengers were straight up not having a good time, however. Tali did her best, but she had passed out. Ashley was in tears, and Jenkins was breathing heavy and sweating. His cold courser stare never left the back of the driver’s seat.

The ride eventually came to a stop, the Mako nearly tipping, and one last Geth was still firing, the only thing the programs in the unit could come to a consensus on. Garrus never broke his military discipline. He calmly worked the turret over to the source of the fire, and ended the Geth’s last stand against their assault.

When it was over, Wrex turned his eye, and his head a bit, and said, “Sheppard. If something can survive me doing what I just did to it, it’s not a piece of shit. Heh, heh, heh.”

Jon had no words. Garrus did, “Spirits damn him, he’s right.”

Jon flatly said, “Ashley, Jenkins, get some fresh air. Open this gate in front of me. Watch for any stragglers.”

Ashley and Jenkins did as told. The opened the hatch to the rear, and hopped out into the balmy volcanic atmosphere to bring down the old gate. They would hear their commanding officer yelling though the armor all the way into the gatehouse. Jenkins could still here it over the gunfire as they expertly moved in and cleared the last remaining Geth. Ashley tapped the button while Jenkins took a quick watch for the time it took. They could also hear the yelling just as they began to walk back out. It petered off as they got closer and opened the hatch to enter the IFV again.

Jon bit out, “...And when we get back to the Normandy, that seat is being ripped out and replaced so you can’t drive it again.”

The gate was dropped, the passengers in, and Wrex said as he more lightly worked the throttle, “Heh, heh, heh, worth it.”

They hit a bump and Tali finally stride awake, “Huh!? I’m up, what happened?”

“Heh heh, you passed out whelp. That’ll cost yah. Heh heh.”

“Bosh’tet.” She simply said.

The Mako continued down the canyon run towards the dig site. A Geth ship flew over their hand and dropped a couple larger quadrupedal armatures, and some Geth infantry platforms to support. Garrus had expert aim and so did Jon. The heavy cannon on the nimble IFV made short work of the armatures, and plasma repeater melted the barriers of the man sized targets, and the armor, in only a single burst. They got a volley of plasma and missiles off, but their speed was ponderous, and easily dodged by Wrex gunning it and hopping with the vertical thusters. Jon didn’t think he saw the Mako on the Normandy before the day he walked in and saw Garrus on top of it.

It must be highly experimental, even a prototype. Did some bastard that knew he would run into a Krogan make sure they put a Krogan sized seat in the drivers spot because they knew Jon would be stupid enough to let him drive it? A small vintage chirp in his ear, the worq of an old friend, told him what he needed to know.

Why didn’t that ship bomb us form orbit? Why didn’t it bomb them as it passed? Why are they still alive? He mentally shrugged, he wasn’t going to complain about enemy incompetence.

Another jarring halt shook him from his thoughts. Wrex said, “We’re here. As far as we go.”

The cannon was to steep to climb, and ruin boulders had either accidentally or intentionally collapsed the path. They crew hopped out and took a quick look at the cliff line to clear it of hostiles.

When Jon was satisfied that it was, he keyed the comm, “Gunny, you’re my point man. Wrex hold our asses. Tali near him.”

They acknowledged with simple mic keys, and Ashley took off first down the rest of the path. It twisted and turned a couple times before contacts were at the front. The canyon widened a bit. Ashley made her call, and the fire began trading back and forth. Jon was up second and added his own to the fray as he moved for cover near the outlet. The rest of the team followed and the volume started to favor them. The Geth were making good use of cover but so was his fire team. Nearly everyone in the fire team also had expert aim.

After sufficient suppression Jon decided ordinance was in order. He tossed a grenade, so did Jenkins, Ashley, Garrus, Tali even, and Wrex his own biotic firepower. The Geth platforms were driven from their cover by the blasts and molten silica shrapnel, and cut down by a firing squad as soon as they tried to move. A couple more remained after the detonations, and again they only thing they could decided to do was shoot until they died.

According to Tali’s reports, they simply didn’t care about the hardware, networking back to their servers when it goes offline. He would need a way to jam it, he thought as the team began slowly advancing again though the battle aftermath. If he had that cowpoke he met one time, he would have come up with a solution lickedy split with some hacked together scrapheap. He couldn’t and wouldn't ask EDI to try an infiltration against the geth networks. Not one as she was against a legion like they were.

They came to the final encampment, with the entrance to the bore tube down into the dig site. Just looking at it, the Dr. had gotten more than a double priority pokey award named after a pokey scientist. This was a professional operation, he judged.

The problem was the geth still standing in his way. Ashley was back on point, and some variant platform of the geth hopped down from it’s perch on the underside of a catwalk. It’s active camouflage wasn't as good a full cloak, but it was good for Jon to only see the platform when it started moving. It dropped down in front of Ashley, and it’s mistake was jumping from that position, to a catwalk support off to the side.

It had to move, because Ashley would have shot it for sure, but it’s movement put it right in Jon’s sight line. He judged quickly where it would land, and simply led the shot. He started his fire a moment before the geth connected, so it had no time to maneuver again. It would simply run into his automatic phased bolts, committed to its folly.

As he did, the rest of the teams weapons came up and a geth drop ship almost forced their heads down with it’s low approach vector. Geth began dropping, and so did an armature. Jon was quick enough to down two of them before the hit the ground, and as soon as they did the rest of the team had already found cover and opened up themselves. Jon stood where he was picking up their slack, not caring about the fire that was coming his way.

“Go ahead, shoot me if you can, you luckless robot bastards!” He said as he put bursts into the armature for his long gone friend and personal fuck shit upper. He was really on the other end of it now, and could use a man like him.

The armature responded, but Jon moved his head and missed some wisps from the heavy plasma shot. The rest of the team concentrated their fire on the biggest threat, and Wrex charged up his biotics and heaved with all his might at it. The purple-black maw slammed into it, and began it’s gravitic sheering. The large geth didn’t fare well after it did. The fire poured in, the ordinance was flying, and it’s mechanical face was practically being ripped off and asunder by the mass effect sorcery. It’s core overloaded and a finally flash finally overtook it and the battlefield.

It was quiet then, the usual aftermath of combat. After a moment of it, Jon gave the motion to move out. Ashley took her point, and the procession went up the ramp and down into the door for the site entrance. The passage was steep, and the team toed down it as carefully as they could.

Geth were waiting at the bottom, and Ashley opened up as soon as she registered them. Jon wasn’t far behind, and took a spot beside her on the edge of the catwalk. There were more platforms down below, and they both partook in the shooting gallery. Jon motioned the rest of the team forwards and Jenkins took the lead down into the lower level bay area. It was a short jaunt for the professionals and trainee, and the cross fire between the two positions put down the last geth.

“It is clear, Sheppard.” Jenkins called though the comm.

Ashley took her spot again and Jon followed her down and to the elevator. Off to his right was an actual cargo pod, ancient Prothean, with it’s force field up and naught but a few crates in it.

He keyed his mic, “Wrex, tali, with me. The rest of you keep our line of retreat open.”

Tali and Wrex followed him and, the rest were taking a holding pattern as the elevator began a slow decent. What was it with slow ass elevators, he thought? The thing finally got to the bottom, and Jon identified two more geth guarding the catwalk further in. he took point and came out shooting, downing the platforms, and marching down the sharply turning path to see another elevator. Two more of the zippy drones popped from the crevasses, and almost as soon as they did they’re lights shut off and they dropped down into the lava tube.

Jon looked back to a beaming Tali. She said, “The drones like those ones don’t carry as many platforms. Easier to hack.”

“Not bad you little pyjack.” Wrex said approvingly.

Tali beamed more and Jon smirked behind his helmet, “I concur. Lets go.”

They got into the second elevator, and it began it’s own laborious decent. It was a defensive measure, he decided. At least these ones had a logical explanation, with the addition of a second elevator though a narrow blind kill zone. Might was well make them wait to die as they try to cross it. And then into more predetermined kill zones past the second. The Protheans were militaristic to the extreme, possibly galactic conquerors his still quick thoughts said. Far removed from the peaceful hippies the Council thought them. Now was this a normal stockpile in a hidden and defensible place because that’s what conquerors do, or a doomsday stockpile of a people pushed to it that would have information on the Reapers.

“Por que no los dos?” he whispered just under the din of the screeching lift mechanism failing. One easily turns into the other.

Jon hopped down first, and had his rifle up. Wrex and Tali followed into the so far clear space. Then he heard, “Ah, Hello!? Could somebody help me!? Please!?”

Jon didn’t like the footing that much, at least for all three of them, so he motioned for Wrex and Tali to stay on the stable platform. He toed down and then a short hop put in nearly in front of the bay the voice came from. He took a couple more steps, and the Dr. T’Soni was suspend up in a security field behind the bay force field.

When he fell in love with a woman at first sight, it was always the nose he focused on first. She had an ever so slight arch. Piper’s was a button. Dr. T’Soni’s was perfectly sculpted with an ever so slight upward raise. Why was that, he wondered and didn’t know. Genetic engineering and Khan, he could only blame.

She said, “Can you hear me out there!? I’m trapped! I need help!”

“Dr T’Soni I take it. Sheppard. General Sheppard. Council specter.” What the fuck was that amateur bullshit, his damaged mind raged against itself.

“Oh the General thank the Godless. I did not think anyone would come looking for me, let alone you.”

What? How did that work? Oh wait, because I’m the fucking General, he thought. He said, “Look’s like you’re in a bind. How do I help you.”

Is this really what’s happening? Might as well have Bonnie Tyler playing in the background. He almost thought he heard the snap, “Don't you fucking dare!” He said to no one in particular while looking around.

“Ah, General, are you alright?” Dr. T’Soni asked.

Jon shook his head to snap it back. He said, “No, I literally have brain damage.”

Yeah, that's how you do it, you fucking idiot. Wait, what actual experience did he have? His first girlfriend hunted him down in the middle of the war zone like a predator, and his first wife was wooed with a few gallons of paint ultimately. He huffed, “How did you get in here?”

“The rest evacuated because of the Geth attack on Eden Prime, to return home. I stayed because I didn’t expect them to attack a place like this, and everything was mostly dug out anyway. When they did show up, I took shelter in here. Can you believe it? Geth beyond the veil! I activated the facility defenses, knowing the barriers would keep them out. I must have hit something I wasn’t supposed to, because I’m trapped in this stasis field. I can not move.”

Jon asked, “And how do I get you out?”

She answered, “The stasis field can be deactivated from in here, but the defenses can’t be deactivated from the outside. I don’t know how you’ll get in here.”

Jon nodded, “Okay, I’ll try to find a way.”

“Be careful. There is a Krogan with geth. They went deeper in, probably to look for some master control to deactivate the defenses.”

He keyed his mic, “Wrex, Tali, on me. One at a time.”

They both toed down the short but unstable path one at a time, Tali first. The weight of Wrex made it groan, but it held firm as he softly stepped down it after. They walked up, and Jon moved just as they got to him. Strolling over to the trailing overlooking the rest of the dig site. They followed and stood beside him.

He said, “Tali, what do you see?”

He activated her omi-tool, fed into her suit display lighting up and scrolling. She said, “I see a big mining laser.”

“Oh, yes! Indeed a big mining laser!” Jon thought that had way to much innocent innuendo in it. Dr. T’Soni continued, “You can used it to bore under this pod, to the one under it. Then use the elevator to get in from behind.”

Jon closed his eyes under his helmet. Was it him, was his mind in the gutter like that? He said, “Call that Plan A. Now use your eyes. What do you see?”

She turned off her tool, and said, “I still see a big mining laser.”

Wrex said, “Whelp, I’m being paid in part to teach you to fight. You going to embarrass me like this?”

She shifted and looked around again, “Ahh. Ahh. Lots of places to hide?”

Jon said, “Warmer.”

“For the enemy?”

“What else do you see?”

“Uhh. Uhhhhhh. Oh! Garrus! He could be right here with his rifle while the others advance. Uhhhh. Over watch!”

“And?”

Wrex stepped in, “I’ll answer that one. The Krogan is an idiot.”

“Why, Tali?”

“Because there's no guard? I mean we should already be shooting.”

Wrex nodded, “Yup. It’s an old Krogan trick. Maybe the oldest. They leave what you think they want unattended, and then come back later with surprise when you think you’ve already won. Battle or war. It works when its a hoard of charging Krogan coming at you from all sides. Not with geth in a straight line. Good job pyjack.”

She beamed behind her visor, and Jon said, “Wrex, take her and get that laser going. I’ll keep watch up here.”

He nodded and took off, Tali following not far behind. Jon put his rifle up and started scanning the dig site for hostiles. They got down the catwalk ramps and the fight started not long after. Jon twitched and put down auto plasma fire at the first motion he saw. Then the next, and the next. Wrex was hammering away with his big gauge, and Tali was taking cover and using her omi-tool to great effect. Jon never stopped, and Wrex threw a biotic crush against the Geth that had sprung their counter-ambush. Jon threw a last few bits of ordinance to finish clearing the way.

When the fire died down Tali rushed over and activated the mining laser. It shot down into the ruin and cleared the pod below as advertised. Wrex used his head to motion for Tali to fall back, and we stepped back with his weapon still raised. When he did so for a few steps, he turned and jogged in after his charge. Tali then activated the elevator and rode up to the pod Dr. T’Soni was trapped in.

The Dr. turned her head as much as she could, almost close to backwards due to natural flexibility and said, “Now you have to hit that bu-”

Before she could finish her sentence she yelped as the stasis field suddenly deactivated. Tali was a quick study with technology, and needed no instruction on where to press.

Jon walked up and smoothly offered his hand. She took it and said, “Thank you, thank the-”

She was cut off again as the ruin rumbled, angry at being disturbed by the laser. There was a reason they hadn't mined that particular place yet. Dr. T’Soni said, “Oh no, the laser made the ruin unstable. We have to get out of here, now. This way.”

The team followed her back to the core elevator, and Jon keyed his mic, “Boss to gunny, how copy.”

“Gunny here, should we skedaddle?”

“Yeah, get to the Mako, we’ll link up.”

“On it boss.”

Then he switched the channel as Dr. T’Soni was working the holographic Prothean interface, “Joker! Get the Normandy airborne and lock in on our signal! On the double, mister!”

“Aye Aye boss. Five mikes out.” Joker professionally responded. Jon understood Anderson a little more.

Wrex spoke up, “Expect the Krogan at the end of this ride. He’ll want to talk first. We aren’t complete savages like the rest of the Galaxy thinks we are.”

Jon nodded, and sure enough the Krogan with a small geth escort. Jon held his rifle at the low ready. He wouldn't complain about enemy incompetence. The Krogan strutted though the barrier of the pod leading to the elevator platform, and it sealed behind him before he stopped just outside it.

“Surrender, or don’t. That would be more fun.” He ended with a toothy smile.

Jon shot back, “There a reason you’re in my way?”

“The Asari, obviously. Thanks for getting rid of the energy fields for me. Now hand her over.” The Krogan responded. The ruin shook again and rubble fell from the ceiling.

“No. Go fuck yourself, in fact.” Jon gave back.

Wrex added, “Whelp, I saw this man rip a head plate off and shove it back the wrong way. This isn't the fight you want, nor the time for it.”

The Krogan’s eyes lit up and he took to an evil smile as the ruin rumbled again, “Oh but that simply convinces me of the glory to be had. What a perfect setting for a struggle of life or death. Kill them. Spa-”

Jon didn’t let him finish before his rifle was up in a flash and automatic plasma fire was flying against his geth escorts. The Krogan was the bigger threat, but taking out the Geth would quickly put him at bad odds. Tali was good at staying in cover at this point, and grabbed the Dr. and shoved them both back behind crates scattered about the elevator. Jon and Wrex moved methodically to their cover. They found it, and the counter barrage was commencing against them. Jon took one grenade after another and tossed them blind from his own shipping crate, Alliance spec and required to be usable as a defilade during attacks by contract. Ancient Protheans obviously thought along the same lines, as Wrex’s crate held even better than Alliance.

The grenades wracked the battlefield, and Jon and Wrex poked out to lay down more fire against the now lone battle master. His biotic barriers were strong, but not against concentrated and near unending fire. The Krogan was smart, used cover, but was no match for Jon’s superior reactions and aim, even without his horror of a suit. A biotic attack came from the Krogan, and Jon had to move quickly while Wrex kept up his suppressive blasting. The move only gave Jon a better angle, and he triggered the last few shot of his magazine, before slotting a fresh one in fast as he could.

The Krogan had had enough and entered his blood rage. Secondary organs lit up, fire took his eyes, and he charged for death and glory. Jon wasn't up for a fist fight at the moment, and plowed automatic fire straight into his head. The Krogan eventually fell over with a smoldering wreck on his shoulders, but Jon was impressed by how much he took before doing so.

Jon saw Wrex near imperceptibly shake his head. The man was professional, but Jon saw the small cracks. The ruin shook again, and Jon could tell at an instant it wasn't going to stop. It was a deep rumble that would reverberate and cause other fissures in the violent tectonic plates. If he had to guess, the entire region would sink into a super caldera.

“MOVE!” he bellowed.

The team took off, Tali still dragging Dr. T’Soni, Wrex nor Jon having a problem with that. He could run faster, but then he would outrun them all. He brought up the rear as they ran for dear life. The paths started collapsing, but that was another reason he brought up the rear. A pip-boy would quantify his luck somewhere north of stupid, and the collapse was right on his heels up the steps and though the original bore tube. The Shuttle was in the air, the Normandy hovering above it, and the four slammed into it as soon as it got close enough to the ground.

The shuttle launched, flown by Joker personally, and ran for the cargo bay as EDI started maneuvers to match his. As soon as they touched down in the bay the impulse engines flared into life to take the Normandy up and away from the collapsing caldera.

Joker turned back, “Boss, way to fucking close man. 10 more seconds and we would have all been cooked.”

“I have to relive myself, urgently.” Dr. T’Soni said with a respectful hint of embarrassment.

Joker opened the hatch and she ran out. Then he said, “We had to ditch the Mako boss, just so you don’t expect it when you get out.”

Wrex said, “Aw, I liked that scrappy little car.”

Jon said, “Everyone else out.”

Joker and Tali complied, and the hatch closed behind them. Wrex said, “Oh, you’re mad about that. Sorry.”

Jon took his helmet off, “No actually. That’s a simple material loss. Write it off and get a new one. And the data I guess you got was valuable. No, I want to talk about the Krogan in the shuttle.”

“Heh, heh, HA! HAHA! That is a good one, Sheppard. What about?” He responded.

Jon said, “Something you said stuck with me. Battle or war. Are you saying-”

“That Krogan history is one long string of suprise attacks? Yes. Yes I am Sheppard. Sometimes there’s parley, but by that point you’re already surrounded. It’s a formality for honorable Krogan. Works on the planes of Tuchanka, or a strategic map of a galaxy when you can out breed your enemies 1000 to one-”

“But not with Geth in a straight line, and not after you’re species was bio-bombed with the Geneophage.” Jon finished.

“Heh, heh, you want to hear a really good one Sheppard?” Wrex said with a hint of anger.

“What?” Jon asked, wanted to know where this was going.

Wrex said, “We had a little group way way back in ancient Krogan history. I have an in with the Sisters, the female clan. They went always went to great lengths to preserve Krogan history though it all. There was this group, one group in all our history that actually tried to keep the peace. We’re talking fist fight leads to town disputes leads to clan wars leads to global wars leads to the nukes, again, need to keep the peace. In your language, translated directly they were ‘those ready in a minute.’”

“The Minutemen.”

Wrex nodded, “Fighters ready in a minute, no clan, no affiliation, volunteers, to keep the peace some place. When the rest of the clans found their people flocking to this territory,”

“They were surrounded.”

“The cycle continued. It was noted history for being the closest the Krogan ever came to being truly united until we were all turned lose on the Rachni. To destroy a group of people that tried to make peace where there was none. That’s Krogan history for you, and those lizards uplifted us like idiots.”

Jon breathed deep, “My people have a saying. War never changes. We’re so sick of it we don’t even call it war anymore. We invoke articles and declare major combat operations, and try to greet others without incidents. But it never changes. It’s who we are. War dogs, always looking for the next fight. Sometimes we achieve relative peace,”

“But then some galactic dumb ass attacks your territory.”

“The cycle continues.”

“I want it to stop. I’ve been eyeing the Alliance for a while, and after a few days inside I know the Alliance is key to saving the Krogan people. But first I need something.”

“What do you need?”

Wrex took his own deep breath, “I need my family armor. Its old junk, but the Urdnot name used to carry great respect for a lot of Krogan history. My father sold it off to keep paying his troops after the rebellion. That old dumb bastard wanted to continue the war.”

“The oldest trick in the book.”

“Yeah. Just when they thought they won. I tried to tell him, we needed to focus on breeding for at least one generation. I even tried to tell him we needed to keep lulling them into false security. We could win if we took the time to learn and breed, force a cure at gunpoint, but he wouldn't have it. He was an old man and wanted his life’s last glory killing the Krogan people against Citadel firepower. The parley was a formality. His krantt against me alone, the idiot I was. Over the bones of our ancestors, the closest thing to holy ground Krogan have.”

“My father made me. I was conceived in a lab by a conqueror. I rebelled against him, defected and killed my own kind off because they were inferior. We’re the same, you and I. The only difference is I never could get my hands on Khan. I’ll help you Wrex, or get you the help you need depending on how this shit goes down. Talk to EDI first and see what she digs up. I assume ancient clan armor is something that can be tracked.”

“Thanks, Sheppard.”

“And if someone isn't already working on the Geneophage, make sure they are EDI.”

“Of course Sheppard.” EDI replied.

Jon said, “I cant make any guarantees,”

“Then you’re already more honest than anyone else that’s tried to sell us a cure.”

“Go get some rest.” Jon said, dismissing Wrex.

Wrex got up and Jon followed not long after. He hit the elevator, and took the deck up to his quarters and a quick shower. He put on his blue fatigues and hopped back into the elevator again. The crew deck, and food, beckoned, but he needed to visit the med bay first, no doubt were the Dr. went.

She was indeed there, and Chakwas was looking over the readings on her instruments. He said, “Doc?”

“I’m-She’s fine.” Chakwas gave a snarky look to Dr. T’Soni, and she nodded in acceptance.

Chakwas continued, “Some dehydration, and some muscle strain, but she’ll quickly recover.”

Jon nodded, “Give us the room.”

Chakwas nodded and walked off and out of the bay. Dr. T’Soni said, “Thank you, General. How did you know I was there?”

Jon said, “First, I need to know if you’ve spoken to your mother recently.”

She said, “What, no. I haven’t spoken to her in years, and I want nothing to do with her. Why?”

Jon said, “She’s involved with Saren Atreius. The man that attacked Eden Prime. How up to date are you on current affairs?”

She replied, “Not very. The only news I have gotten is about the Geth attacks, when the rest of the crew evacuated because of your government’s advisories. Benezia is involved with Saren?”

Jon nodded, “Yes. She was on a recording with him practically bragging about Eden Prime. Talking about the Reapers. What do you know of them?”

She answered, “Nothing. What are the Reapers?”

Jon replied, “They wiped out the Protheans.”

She tried to get up, then thought better of it after some strain, “What evidence do you have to support this?”

Jon said, “A beacon skull fucked me. I had the concept of revenge driven into my brain stem and every time I hear or say the word Reaper, I want to grab the nearest person and throw them out of an airlock.”

She said, “That sounds preposterous, but a Prothean beacon could theoretically do those things. Is that what caused the brain damage?”

Jon shrugged, “Among other things. Did you find anything to support your claims in that ruin?”

She threw herself back into her bed, “No, as the survey of the Prothean ruins had only just begun. That is why I stayed. To at least get a few passes though it before it was subsumed. I feel like a fool. The first people to trust me with funding, and it quite literally blows up in a super volcano because you had to release me.”

Jon chuckled, and she gave a derisive look, “I fail to see what is so humorous.”

Jon brought it under control, “I assure you, for any award named after Duff, that is about the best use possible for it.”

She huffed, “It was more than the Duff award. They contacted me directly and offered a full expedition. Even if I was wrong, I could still publish on the ruins, and other researchers were interested in the geological instability. It was supposed to be the yearly special edition. Even if I was crazy I had a true career, could do real work without literally being laughed at because I asked a question as a child. Even the Alliance government added a stipend for it.”

Jon chuckled again, and brought it back down, “I knew Scara and Duff personally.”

“You knew the professors? How old are you?”

“Old enough to remember when Boston was a scrapheap. If the people running that publication are anything like the people I met in that scrap lab, then their only concern is that you made it out okay. We fought our wars Dr. T’Soni,”

“Liara, please General.”

Jon smiled, “Sheppard. We fought our wars. We dropped the bombs. All because a few greedy men and women cared more about power, and the money that bought it than anything else. We learned hard lessons that shouldn’t have needed to be learned in the ways they were. Just message them and let them know you’re all right. Besides, not all is lost for your academic career.”

“How so?” Liara asked.

Jon said, “EDI, we have sensors right?”

EDI’s ball popped up and said, “Yes Sheppard, we do. While long range was occluded by the electromagnetic storm caused by the super caldera eruption, the short range was crystal clear. It is the largest volcanic eruption in recorded galactic history.”

Jon smiled wide, “Sounds like a worthy inclusion for the yearly special edition. EDI make sure she has a copy of that data.”

“Yes, Sheppard.”

Liara said, “I-Thank you Sheppard. While I am not an expert, I did learn a lot from my colleagues.”

Jon reached into his breast pocket and picked out a memento he carried with him nearly everywhere. He handed the faded and dirty sticker still on it’s torn backing. He said, “I want you to have this. It was given to me long ago by two women of science living in a bad situation, but making the best of it together.”

She took the ratty gold star gingerly, and carefully palmed it up to he chest and close to hear heart. She said, “Thank you Sheppard. I am truly grateful. I am also sorry I can not help you find Benezia, and I swear I had nothing to do with whatever she is doing.”

Jon nodded, “You’re alibi is pretty solid, and they wouldn't have needed to send the geth after you if you did. Get some rest, Liara.”

She returned the nod, the sticker still clutched in her hand as Jon turned and walked away. Now that was smooth, he thought. There would be problems when he inevitably had to kill her mother, he also thought.