Bab 28: 28
"Saren?" the krogan asked in surprise, appearing in front of the traitorous SPECTRE as a red hologram.
- "Try to explain to me what's happening here? Why the hell haven't you taken the colony yet!?" Saren was angry. Very angry. Half of his army had been sent to take Zhu's Hope, but there were no results.
- "We couldn't. They're fighting like mad. And our guys are defecting to their side!" the War Master made excuses.
- "What do you mean 'defecting'?" Saren asked for clarification.
- "Just what I said! About five drop troopers, 20 or 25 krogan, and the War Master, Krag, have switched sides, and the colonists are cool with it! As if that's how it's supposed to be! And they're just chopping geth into mincemeat!" The krogan was not happy about his people defecting to the colonists and then shooting at him and his guys.
- "Fine. I'll handle this myself," Saren said dryly and cut off the connection.
- "Disinfection procedure is underway," the AI's voice sounded in the docking hatch, and Shepard sighed nervously. She was already thoroughly irritated by this voice, but there was nothing to replace it with. And she hadn't had time.
- "Tali, are you sure you want to come with us?" Jane asked worriedly, as she was concerned about Tali's eagerness to turn the geth into mincemeat.
- "Yes, I'm sure. You've asked me three times already. I'm fine," Tali repeated. She didn't deny that she'd taken a beating on Terra Nova, but she had recovered. But Shepard was not to be persuaded. She had already left Garrus and Kaidan on the Normandy under the watchful eye of Dr. Chakwas. Garrus still needed to recover his spine and spinal cord, and Kaidan needed to get used to his new implant because the old one had broken.
- "Alright," Shepard agreed, and the door finally opened.
Feros greeted the team with gunshots, distant explosions, and the smell of burning, which was everywhere. Turning right, the team headed for the main event. The first thing they noticed was that some sort of morgue had been set up in the docks. Shepard counted 30 body bags and a couple of people who paid no attention to the team. They went up the stairs, found several blocked passages along the way, except for one, and dozens of destroyed geth bodies.
- "The colony's stronger than it looks," Rex commented on what he saw, and everyone silently agreed. Another minute later, the team arrived at the colonists' shelter. And the first oddity Shepard noticed was that the entrance they came through, and even the dock, was not guarded. At all. Near the entrance were only two girls, one of whom was messing with holograms trying to restore water supply, and the other was trying to restore electricity. Both were having problems.
- "Um, excuse me, can we talk to you?" the girl dealing with the generator suddenly asked.
- "Yes?" Jane reflexively answered.
- I'm Mei O'Connell. Technician. Can I talk to you? - Jane couldn't figure out what was wrong with this girl. On one hand, she was behaving uncertainly, like an ordinary person before the Defense Committee, who was being questioned because he had witnessed an incredibly awesome event but has no proof, but on the other hand... There was something fake in Mei's voice. As if she wanted to be seen as an uncertain mouse, who's talking almost to a cat and asking him to share milk. And also the look... Empty, looking through the captain. And it was not a proud look of "You're all nothing - I don't look at you!", but rather "Eeeeh...". Yes, that's what Mei's look was like.
- Sure. What did you want? - Shepard calmly agreed, because she knew - treat people the way you want to be treated.
- Because of the geth attack, we're cut off from the main reactor located in the Exo-Geni headquarters. We have a backup generator, but it's old and therefore immediately broke down.
- Do you need help with the repair? - Shepard asked directly.
- Yes. I just noticed the quarian and thought you would agree to help. After all, I am nowhere near the quarians in terms of engineering, - Mei tried to persuade as she could, and Shepard increasingly felt something strange in the voice and gaze of this girl. And there was also a strange dust in the air, which didn't look like cement dust. This dust made Shepard's throat prickle. It wasn't painful, just unpleasant, but she held on. After all, it was a trifle.
- Fine. Tali, you'll help them with this. If necessary, make a new generator from the geths, I allow it.
- We'll do our best, Shepard, - Tali cheerfully responded and immediately got to work. The others went on, but immediately stumbled upon a salarian.
- Good day, - the salarian greeted, which surprised Shepard.
- Good. You don't often meet a salarian in such... place,- Shepard hesitated because she wanted to call it a "city", but it was hard to call it a city.
- I'm a merchant, Ledra. I flew here right before the geth attack. Wanted to make money. But now I'm defending the colony with the others.
- Defending? Interesting, how? - Ashley intervened, but Ledra didn't even blink.
- I had a large cargo of weapons. I gave everything to the colonists. Not all though.
- What, the colonists ran out of money? - Ashley continued.
- No. I gave everything for free. However, the most powerful weapons and grenade launchers remained on the ship, in a special compartment. The only problem is that the reactor fuel ran out, and without electricity, the compartment cannot be opened. So thank you for agreeing to help with the generator. It will help us. At least a little, - Shepard was getting anxious. Ledra's voice was... emotionless. No emotions. At all. None. Zero. And that look... Exactly the same as Mei's. Even though their eyes were completely different, the gaze was the same.
- You're welcome. Take care, - Shepard said goodbye. And as soon as she stepped away a few meters, she quietly continued, - Be careful. Something's not right here, I can sense it with my gut.
- Is something wrong? - Rex asked, with not a hint of joke in his voice.
- Yes. So, we don't relax. We'll fix their gen... What the? - Turning the corner, the team saw three asari commandos, three krogan clones and one War Master, and a colonist judging by the uniform, who were grilling meat over an open fire, - Liara, isn't that...
- Yes. Those are Benezia's commandos. I know all of them by face. This is Sheela, Tritla and Lirin,- answered Liara, - What are they doing here?
- We have to find out, - Shepard was surprised herself that the commandos and krogan clones were here and calmly communicating with the colonists. Jane had no doubt that these were clones. All three were identical. Even the eye color was the same.
- Good day, - Shepard greeted, intending to talk.
- Good. Would you like to join us? Today we have a rich catch - 7 varren, - answered one asari with a fancy pattern on her forehead.
- Yes, it turns out hunting varren with shotguns is much more convenient. So, would you like a piece? - asked another asari, from which Shepard began to panic. There can't be such hospitality during military action. She knew that herself.
- No, thanks. I'm a vegetarian. - Jane decided not to provoke these strange personalities, but she had to ask, - I have a question. You are the commandos of Matriarch Benezia. Why are you helping the colonists?
- Because we decided so. - The asari replied dryly to the question.
- But still, why did you betray Benezia? Did the colonists pay you? - suddenly Ashley butted in.
- Because we decided so, - this time a krogan clone answered, which started to scare Shepard a little. It was getting to a conflict.
- That's not an answer.
- Ashley! - Shepard whispered, but as strictly as possible, to shut this xenophobe up. In response to this, the War Master from the commando team stood up. He was about 10 centimeters taller and as much wider than Rex, so it wasn't really wanted to argue or quarrel with this mountain of muscles. This huge krogan came right up to Ashley, almost kissing touching her.
- Because. We. Decided. So. - The krogan ticked off, then bit off a piece of varren that was in his hand. Along with the bone, then slowly started to crack this bone with his teeth.
- Okay. Thank you, - Shepard wanted only one thing - to finally find the leader and kill a couple of dozen geth. However, suddenly Joker's voice sounded.
- Captain, I found something. Zhu's Hope sent a distress signal two weeks ago, but the signal was sent to "Exo-Geni", and they seem to be silent as fish. Oh, and there will be a scandal when all this comes out.
- Thanks. And another thing, Joker. Close the doors to the Normandy and don't let anyone in, even if a dozen naked asari try to break in. And don't let anyone out, even if Pressly starts to command. Understood?
- Yes. Captain, but what... - Joker was surprised by such an order, but Shepard immediately interrupted him.
- Something's wrong here, Joker. Something's not right... - said Shepard, lowering her tone, while nervously looking around, and then she was rudely interrupted.
- Captain Shepard? - a man of Asian appearance suddenly called her.
- Yes. That's me.
- Fai Dan. The head of Zhu's Hope colony, - said the man calmly, with the same voice as everyone else's and with the same look as everyone else's.
- What's going on here? - the captain began to ask the point, she wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
- The geth. They attacked us two weeks ago. We sent a distress signal, but no one answered. As far as I understand, you are our help, - this voice... dry, emotionless, none... It already scared Shepard, which made her shudder.
- Yes. What else do you know?
- The geth command post is located in the "Exo-Geni" headquarters. There is a highway leading to it, but it, like the garage, is captured by the geth. For now, we are holding them back in the only remaining corridor, it does not take much strength for this. Also, some of them we kill on the highway with sniper rifles, but tanks cannot be defeated by this, and there are many of them there.
- I see. And now won't you explain to me what the asari commandos and krogan are doing here, who are fighting alongside the geth? - Shepard decided not to delay to figure this out as soon as possible.
- They decided so themselves. We were not against, - Fai Dan said dryly, because of which Ashley could not stand it anymore.
- What the hell are you talking about!? They all serve the traitor SPECTRE, and you just keep them around!?
- We have no reason not to trust them. They decided so themselves, - Fai Dan kept spinning his tune, from which Ashley was already boiling.
- You...
- Ashley! Cool down! - Shepard did not say, but ordered, and Ashley still stopped, - Alright. We will break through to "Exo-Geni" on the Mako, and you wait here.
- Of course, captain.
- Ashley, go for Tali, - Ashley, grumbling something under her breath, turned around and walked briskly for the quarian. In a minute she was out of sight behind a living wagon, and suddenly Liara clutched her head and began to squeak something under her breath.
- LIARA! What's with... Ahh-ahh... Ahh... AAAAAAAA... - From the pain in her head, Shepard fell to the concrete floor and clutched her head. The pain was just monstrous. As if each cell of the brain was between a hammer in the hands of a krogan and an anvil and at the same time these same cells were drilled by drills. The pain was so monstrous that all she could hear was a squeak in her ears, as if hundreds of mosquitoes were flying in her head. Shepard could not even scream from the pain, she could not even think. But after a few seconds, which seemed like an eternity to Shepard, she passed out.
Turning another corner, Ashley already saw the generator that Tali was working with, and she also saw May. But the quarian herself was not visible. Only a second later did she hear her voice coming from behind the generator. Ashley noted again the similarity of this girl to gypsies because of the love of both to rummage in the garbage, but suddenly, for no reason at all, her head started to ache. It hurt so much that Ashley staggered, but managed to lean on the wall of the living wagon. Holding her head with one hand, she began to wait until the pain passed, and after a couple of seconds, she heard a voice.
- Are you feeling unwell? - Ledra approached Ashley and began to ask about her condition, but it only irritated Ashley.
- Back off, frog... - the sergeant snapped, pushing herself off the wall and going further. And Ledra, already behind the girl's back, calmly activated his instrument, and then touched Ashley's neck with it. The electric impulse worked instantly and in less than a second Ashley fell to the concrete floor.
- So, now like this... - Tali was saying as she rummaged through the generator, - Damn it, everything needs to be dismantled here. May, is there a wrench?
- Sure, - May took a heavy wrench and with all her strength hit Tali on the head, causing the quarian to instantly lose consciousness.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone