As Alex returns from the toilet, Tali speaks urgently through the comms, “Emergency, we're seeing suspicious crates… Commander, we can’t proceed without risking a fight!”
“We’re done here! Anoleis was just arrested by our secretary friend. We’ll be there in a few minutes!” Shepard replies swiftly through the comms.
Alex, now back at the bar, nods at Wrex and Liara before responding, “We’ll be there shortly, too!”
Alex, Liara, and Wrex quickly head towards Port Hanshan’s garage, spotting Shepard, Kaidan, and Ashley dashing toward them.
Together, they enter an elevator and swiftly arrive at the garage, only to be stopped immediately by multiple security guards.
Shepard flashes her ID and shouts urgently, “THERE ARE GETH IN THE GARAGE! FOLLOW US!”
As soon as she finishes speaking, Tali and Garrus sprint toward them, taking cover behind some crates as multiple Geth begin firing.
The guards stationed in the garage immediately abandon their posts, hastily escaping via a nearby elevator.
What the fuck?!
Alex draws his [Brawler-Pistol] and [Enchanted Runeblade], opening fire on the Geth.
A quick glance reveals about ten Geth: two agile Geth Stalkers climbing on crates and the ceiling, several regular Geth Troopers, and two massive Geth Destroyers.
“Kaidan, we’re taking the Stalkers! Like on Therum!” Alex shouts, rushing to the side of the hall and ascending a ramp, providing cover and clear visibility. He quickly spots one of the Stalkers clinging to the side of a support pillar.
Without hesitation, Alex casts Thundara.
You have dealt 86 x 2 = 172 damage to Geth Stalker
You have stunned Geth Stalker
Kaidan follows with Overload, immediately chaining it into a precise Warp, ripping the damaged Stalker apart.
Next one!
Alex sees the second Geth Stalker leap onto Wrex.
Sorry, big guy.
Alex ruthlessly casts Thunder at the Stalker, inadvertently striking Wrex as well.
You have dealt 31 x 2 = 62 damage to Geth Stalker
You have dealt 11 damage to Wrex
Enraged, Wrex violently punches the Stalker away from himself.
Kaidan swiftly follows up with a well-aimed Sabotage, flames engulfing the Stalker and causing it to writhe helplessly on the ground, parts of it overheating.
Alex carefully aims his pistol, sharpening his senses to their maximum potential, and fires three precise shots.
The first shot accurately hits the Stalker.
You have dealt 48 damage to Geth Stalker
The second shot grazes it, causing minor damage.
You have dealt 11 damage to Geth Stalker
The third shot penetrates deeply into its mechanical head.
You have dealt 44 x 3 = 132 damage to Geth Stalker
You have destroyed Geth Stalker
Alex notices Ashley narrowly jumping behind a crate, barely avoiding a devastating shotgun blast from a Geth Destroyer, powerful enough to shred her defenses instantly.
Alex continues firing relentlessly, backed by Kaidan.
You have dealt 36 damage to Geth Destroyer
You have dealt 37 damage to Geth Destroyer
You have dealt 29 damage to Geth Destroyer
You have dealt 36 damage to Geth Destroyer
You have dealt 32 damage to Geth Destroyer
You have dealt 31 damage to Geth Destroyer
You have destroyed Geth Destroyer
Suddenly, several Geth Troopers notice Alex and Kaidan on the higher ground, firing wildly in their direction.
With a calculating grin, Alex charges forward, Kaidan desperately trailing him. They quickly reposition themselves, causing the Troopers’ shots to harmlessly miss as they gain more distance.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew swiftly finishes off the remaining Geth.
As the group regroups, Maeko Matsuo—the head of Security for Elanus Risk Control Services on Noveria—storms into the garage, flanked by numerous officers.
She immediately demands, “Commander, what happened here?! What have you done?!”
Shepard, incredulous, snaps back, “Me?! I’m the victim here! The Geth attacked us while your useless cowards' subordinates fled like rats!”
“Geth? You expect me to—” Matsuo starts skeptically, but abruptly stops as she spots the destroyed Geth scattered across the garage floor. “Where did these things come from?”
“Obviously, they were inside Matriarch Benezia’s shipping containers. Yes, those same ones you didn’t bother inspecting because you and your now-arrested boss were corrupt,” Alex says coldly. “You might not be as blatantly corrupt and pathetic as your dead assistant or the squad of crooked officers, but there’s not much difference.”
“We did scans! I can’t… there were no power sources, no element zero masses… If Benezia-sama’s containers were packed with these things, there could be many more!” Matsuo stammers, shocked.
Shepard sighs heavily, “I need numbers, Captain. A dozen? A hundred?”
“Dozens at least,” Matsuo replies anxiously. “They’re machines; you could pack them tightly!” She sighs, turning around hurriedly. “I must report to the Executive Board. If word gets out about loose Geth, investors could panic.”
“There she goes… Now nobody’s guarding this place. We could’ve just walked right in!” Alex scoffs, gesturing toward the now completely unguarded elevator.
They should all just die! Worthless pieces of shit… Fuck them…
I really need to calm down… Why am I so furious? I already know all of this. I guess if it’s my ass on the line, it’s hard to stay calm. This constant fighting is getting to me. Without my armor, I’d probably be going crazy right now.
“We can’t rely on them! Into the Mako, now! They know we’re coming for them, so we can’t waste any more time. As long as the snowstorm continues, they’re trapped here,” Shepard commands firmly.
Another fun ride…
Kaidan nearly stumbles over his own feet, looking pale.
Ashley chuckles softly, grabbing his shoulder and dragging him towards the Mako.
The crew quickly boards the Mako, Alex looking visibly worried as he settles inside.
Shepard swiftly starts the Mako and speeds out of the garage, following the treacherous route towards Peak 15. The terrain is dangerous and nearly impossible to navigate. Only due to the Mako’s specialized systems is travel even feasible.
To their left stretches a steep cliff plunging down into a deadly drop, certain to be lethal even for the Mako despite its thrusters.
“You know… high mountains, sheer cliffs, and a raging snowstorm. Call me a scaredy-cat, but this isn’t exactly pleasant! Stick close to the wall, please, Commander—I swear I don’t want to fall off!” Alex complains nervously.
Kaidan is trembling visibly, clearly distressed—probably the only crew member more anxious than Alex.
“Let’s pass the time then,” Liara suggests calmly. “I’m sure we’ll reach our goal without trouble.”
“What exactly do we know about Peak 15 anyway?” Alex asks, genuinely curious. “It belongs to Binary Helix, right? The company where Saren and Benezia heavily invested? Anything else?”
“They have their own emergency containment system, called ‘Code Omega.’ We learned about it earlier,” Liara responds thoughtfully. “Considering this, along with their questionable reputation, I suspect Binary Helix conducts extremely dangerous and unethical research. Without a substantial threat, something like Code Omega—which could even trigger a total bombardment of the facility—simply wouldn’t be necessary.”
“Binary Helix specializes in genetic engineering and biotechnology,” Garrus adds through the comms. “Noveria—and especially Peak 15—is ideal for them since they can operate freely without protests or oversight. They could never get away with this on most other planets.”
“Bad news! Geth at twelve o’clock, blocking the path. Prepare for combat!” Shepard interrupts their banter.
Shepard expertly maneuvers the Mako while Garrus blasts away at the attacking Geth trying to block their advance. All along their route, multiple Geth ambushes occur, accompanied by hastily abandoned crates left behind across the ground.
It takes nearly 30 minutes of painstaking driving and constant repairs to advance.
Driving through tunnels and continually engaging with Geth positioned on improvised guard towers, the Mako finally approaches close enough for Peak 15 to become visible.
“We made it… but we’re completely out of Omnigel, Commander. The Mako’s still damaged,” Garrus reports grimly.
Suddenly, heavy turret fire rains down upon the Mako, forcing Garrus to rapidly take them out one by one. Just as they near the huge research station’s entrance, the world blurs violently and Alex's ears hear a loud sound before a silent buzzing.
A deafening explosion erupts, launching the Mako into the air. Everything spins for a second and Alex tries desperately to remain calm.
In a desperate move, Shepard activates the thrusters, regaining partial control of the vehicle. Barely avoiding a catastrophic plunge off the cliff, Shepard crash-lands roughly onto the rocky, snow-covered terrain.
You have received 4 damage.
The crash jolts Alex despite his armor, equipment, and high PHY stat. The crew appears visibly shaken. As Alex regains his senses, he realizes the Mako is upside-down.
He quickly activates the emergency release, opening the back hatch.
“You all okay?!” Alex urgently asks the others.
Shepard and Garrus emerge from the front compartment, while Wrex grunts irritably, “I’m stuck!”
“Move, you fat reptile!” Ashley shouts, kicking Wrex, who’s awkwardly pinned against her shoulder.
Liara and Tali groan quietly but manage to crawl out on their own.
Alex then notices Kaidan, who seems to have fainted.
Poor guy… at least he’s not foaming from his mouth!
Smiling sympathetically, Alex pulls Kaidan outside and gently shakes him awake.
“Woah! What happened?” Kaidan asks, disoriented.
“We… reached our destination,” Alex replies. He then turns toward Shepard. “Commander, what hit us?”
Shepard, already busy scanning with her omni-tool, quickly answers, “A mine or some sort of explosive charge. I’m scanning for more. Everyone, stay close to the Mako for now! Grab anything essential—we’ll need to cover the last stretch on foot, but it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.”
Shortly thereafter, the crew cautiously moves forward, following Shepard over icy terrain toward the research facility’s entrance.
Tali swiftly rushes to the entrance door, desperately trying to hack the door.
“Turians don’t handle cold well. Hurry up, please,” Garrus complains impatiently.
As soon as the door opens, they see a large garage filled with crates identical to those found back at Port Hanshan and encountered along their way up.
Upon entering the garage, a VI voice echoes through the speakers:
“User alert. All Peak 15 facilities have suffered extensive damage. Biohazard materials detected throughout the facility. Virtual Intelligence user interface offline.”
“We need to get the reactors back online!” Garrus suggests.
“How about we watch out for Geth first? I’ve got a really bad feeling about this,” Ashley counters cautiously.
Suddenly, numerous Geth and heavily armed Krogan emerge, clearly prepared for an ambush.
Alex instantly rushes forward, moving swiftly along the left-side wall to shield himself, ducking behind a large crate for cover on his exposed right. Just then, he notices a Krogan standing directly in front of him.
“Hey, you ugly, nasty reptile! Didn’t you hear the VI? There’s biohazardous material around here. Maybe you should consider showering once a month to get that Saren-love juice out of your suit. You look like a cheap, filthy whore! How about I pay you fifty credits to fuck off?”
“I’m going to enjoy this, human!” the Krogan growls, gripping his shotgun tightly enough to almost crush it. “DIE!”
Finally, Shepard yells over comms, “DESTROY THEM!” as the battle erupts into furious gunfire.