Riding down the elevator to the level that contains the Quarantine Zone, the crew is visibly on edge.
Making their way through a few corridors, they arrive in a large room and spot the Volus, Han Olar, standing around, looking confused. There are also a few other scientists down there, visibly tense, all of them keeping a healthy distance from the Volus.
Han Olar looks like every other Volus—thick suit, small and round body, with typical badger-like features, like all Volus display.
“You came to find out about them, didn’t you?” he says in a slightly crazed, raspy voice.
“You mean those things out there? We suspect they’re Rachni,” Shepard replies.
“Yes. I’m the only survivor from the hot labs, you know. Also, human, you surprise me. They are indeed Rachni… I wonder how you know.”
Liara steps forward, looking unsettled. “Really… so these are Rachni? But the Krogans wiped them out a thousand years ago! You were right, Alex!”
Han Olar continues, “They found it in a derelict ship. An egg. Just waiting since the last battles, for a thousand years. They brought it here.”
“SHUT UP!” one of the scientists suddenly screams. “God—do you want to get us all killed?”
Han Olar responds zealously, “I don’t have any control over who lives or dies here. Do you?”
“If you want to be crazy, be the quiet kind,” a Turian scientist snaps.
“Crazy?” Han Olar rasps, “I’m sane. God, am I sane!”
“Totally,” Alex mutters dryly, causing a few of the crew to smirk. Even the scientists let out a tense laugh.
“You said you were at the hot labs. How did you make it out alive?” Shepard asks.
“I killed her.”
“Who?” Liara asks cautiously.
“Doctor Zhonmua. We were going to lunch when the alarms went off. I ran into the tram and I closed the doors. She banged on the window once. Then they sliced her to pieces. Her head came apart like a melon. I closed the door. I killed her.”
“Do they even have melons in space? And these graphic descriptions are really not necessary,” Alex says, visibly disgusted as he stares at the Volus with contempt.
“What about Benezia? Could she have survived the Hot Labs?” Shepard asks. Liara visibly stiffens at the question.
“It’s possible. The specimens were sensitive to biotics,” Han Olar replies.
“That’s all I need. Let’s go. The contaminated zone is over there. There’s a guard posted,” Shepard says, nodding toward the stationed man.
As Shepard approaches, the guard immediately calls out, “Who are you?! You’re not part of the crew!”
Shepard calmly responds, “I have Ventralis’s permission to go in there. I’m Commander Shepard.”
The guard hesitates, then nods, “Yeah, he radioed. He also said you’ll need to prove you’re not contaminated to get back out! You got a death wish or something? You’d be better off standing watch on the barricade than heading in there.”
“Just open the damn door,” Shepard says, her voice firm.
Activating En briefly, Alex scans the area. The entire group is now entering the lab—the same one Shepard and the others went into.
Reactivating Zetsu, he slips from his hiding spot and begins moving silently toward the open door.
Alestia Iallis smugly declares, “Your mission ends here, Shepard.”
“So you were a sleeper agent for Benezia,” Shepard notes coldly.
She smiles and gloats, “I was ordered to eliminate you, should the opportunity arise. And here you are, trapped in this lab. The best thing is, my Lady will witness your demise under my hands! Now—Weapons free—”
Just as she finishes her words, Alex unleashes his Aura and activates Ko. He immediately follows it up with Thundara Sword, swinging his massive [Executioner’s Blade R2] in a horizontal arc directly at her neck.
Why do I suddenly feel like a lumberjack?
A sick thrill crawls up his spine as he feels his blade cut through her biotic shield and carve clean through flesh and bone like butter. With any real resistance, her Head is violently severed, Alestia’s eyes wildly flickering in confusion, before losing their light.
You have dealt 176 + 154 = 330 x 3 = 990 damage to Alestia Iallis
You have killed Alestia Iallis
Seeing their commander get violently beheaded—dying in less than a second—one of the shocked Asari Commandos screams, “The Butcher!! Fight back!”
Alex doesn't hesitate. He targets a nearby Geth and slams a Thunder Sword into it, maintaining Ko.
You have dealt 125 + 75 = 200 damage to Geth Trooper
You have destroyed Geth Trooper
The other Commandos and Geth immediately open fire on him.
Realizing he's exposed with no cover, Alex quickly activates Ken and conjures Sealion’s Icewing Embrace.
Despite his layered defenses, he’s instantly assaulted by a barrage of biotic powers—Warp, Push, a storm of concentrated Geth fire. His icy armor shatters. His shields buckle and fail as he's blasted backwards, crashing into the wall.
You have received 41 damage (blocked by shields)
Icewing Embrace durability -2
…
Shields broken
Icewing Embrace broken
You have received 53 damage.
You have received 43 damage.
You have received 47 damage.
You have received 61 damage
You have received 47 damage.
You have received 55 damage
Alex Kerber: Lvl 6
HP: 67/373, MP: 337/373 AURA: 156/263 SHIELDS: 0/350
Desperate, Alex barely manages to crawl behind a large piece of research equipment, its bulk shielding him for now. Blood drips from the corners of his mouth, his entire body in pain.
He quickly triggers his armor’s internal Medigel dispenser, using up one unit of [Medigel].
You have recovered 50 HP
You have recovered 50 HP
You have recovered 50 HP
You have recovered 50 HP
Damn… that’s the good stuff!
Thankfully, Shepard and the crew quickly return fire on the distracted enemies, unleashing everything they've got—from tech powers to Liara’s and Wrex’s powerful biotics.
Alex stays hidden, feeling numb and hurt.
Just a few seconds later, he hears, “Clear,” and sees Shepard, Liara, and Tali looking down at him from above.
“Are you okay? That looked rather painful,” Liara comments, her expression full of concern.
Tali also looks worried.
“Kerber, do you need aid?” Shepard asks.
“I’ll be fine… I hope,” Alex mutters, slowly getting back on his feet.
My back… this time it’s for real and not just for the meme.
I hope my HP regen takes care of it. Guess I’ll need to spend some FC once I’m back in the Realm.
“Good job, Lieutenant. What happened?” Kaidan asks.
“They came from one of the locked rooms… I couldn’t save the guard... no, to be honest, I didn’t even try. I knew I couldn’t win against them all by myself,” Alex admits.
“You did great. Let’s deliver the cure,” Shepard says, showing the mixed solution in her hands.
The group rushes back, boarding the elevator. Back upstairs at the station, they find Dr. Cohen, who looks surprised but also ecstatic to see them return.
“Is that the cure? You did it?” he asks, his voice cracking from disbelief.
“That Asari scientist—the one in the mess hall—she just tried to kill us! Did you set us up?!” Shepard snaps, her tone hard.
“Alestia? That’s unbelie—! I… I don’t know much about her. She arrived a month ago. One of the shareholders pulled strings to get her here.”
“Let me guess. Saren, the Spectre?” Garrus says, voice thick with sarcasm.
“This is unbelievable!” Ashley yells.
“Yes… I think that was the name. I don’t really pay attention to the other research teams,” the doctor admits. “Look, the guards... they’ve been more on edge since you got here. I think they were expecting you. There are more labs in the back. The guards won’t even let me back there. Only people with ‘clearance’ are allowed.”
“That’s the heavily armed and secured door we told you about, Shepard,” Tali adds, glancing at Alex.
“What about the maintenance area?” Shepard asks.
“The maintenance area? Yes, take my pass. But there’s just snow back there,” Cohen replies, handing over a keycard. Then, looking at the phial in Shepard’s hand, he continues, “Let me see that… An extension of Phelps’ work? I thought he was on the right track. I can’t thank you enough. God, what a cliché… You saved all those sick people, you know that? I need to administer this. Thanks again!”
Shepard then calls the group into an empty room, speaking quietly through the comms. “Like Kerber warned, these guards are now acting outright suspicious. Suggestions? Should we press on directly toward Benezia? Or enter the Hot Labs and search for another path? I think we can use the maintenance area to reach our goal. There should be an alternative route.”
“Do you want to solve the Rachni problem, Shepard?” Wrex asks.
“I’m not sure… Personally, I want to stop Binary Helix’s research forever. Let’s do our best. Afterwards, we’re heading directly toward Benezia,” she answers.
The group, ignoring the tense stares from Ventralis’ men, walks straight to him. Shepard, barely hiding her anger, confronts him.
“I was attacked by the Asari who was stationed here. She killed your guard.”
“Dr. Iallis? But she seemed like the most stable one here…” Ventralis stammers, his expression falling.
“She was a huntress, pledged to the Matriarch. She had Geth with her,” Liara explains calmly, stepping in to support Shepard.
“Geth? I didn’t know. God’s honest truth, I thought she was just another egghead. Son of a bitch…”
“We’ve got work to do in the Hot Labs. Stand guard and protect the civilians in the station,” Shepard orders, turning to walk away.
Alex lingers on purpose, the crew going ahead, walking towards the elevator.
Just before passing Ventralis, he mutters, “Really hard to find out all your identities. Turns out it pays off when corrupt Elanus Risk Control Services members sell out their own. If something happens, Captain Anderson will make sure the families of suspected galactic terrorists pay for their corruption… with their lives.”
Not that I’d agree or go through with this kind of cheap threat, but my Reputation is fucked anyway. I hope he chooses the correct side or at least flees.
He steps forward, flashing his [Executioner’s Blade R2], his eyes locked on Ventralis. With slow deliberation, he licks the edge of the blade.
Disgusting, tastes like metal.
The man begins to stammer, “I… the orders… no… You can’t—”
“Choose who’s more important,” Alex threatens. “Your contractor… or your family.”
Then he walks away, cold and composed, vanishing into the shadow of the crew ahead.