Noveria Part 3: Decisions

Rachni-

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Jane and her team did not spare the old Xenos. The Rachni was left to burn in the acid tanks initially but they did not watch the full process unfold. The female Specter just felt wrong about doing this. Killing the last of an entire race that gave a fair argument it would flee and hide from prying eyes.

"You are still alive, that is good." Leo wadded through the Acid Vat towards the large Xenos. His biotics shielding him completely from the process of damage to his armor. Spiritual Sense wrapping around the injured Xenos to keep it coherent. "Do not fret, all will be well soon."

Members of his team secured the lab and gather remains and data. Several scientists from Binary Helix were with them now. The Rift Station's Medical Bay regarding the sick scientists was taken care of easily.

Best to recruit them for his own needs. Didn't take much convincing.

'You are like that human before that did this, but more! Why should I trust you?' The thoughts contained a musical hum to them. The clarity it brought was not lost on Leo and the A.I. stopped going through the files of the V.I. Mira they downloaded. 'The music.. it grows lower.'

Storing the acid into his Internal Space, Leo really couldn't move the Rachni Queen. The damage was quite extensive and medical procedures for the race were not really known of anymore.

"Just calm yourself, If I wanted to kill you I could. Then just clone you. But here I am trying to save your life for my own uses. Not to mention I want to speak about the past in person."

Dr.Zev Cohen, a researcher of Binary Helix watched in apt attention. It was bad enough most of his specimens were destroyed in the process of a raid by Jane and her team, but the Rachni would be an advantage.

As well as the modifications to the Thoros-B biotoxin.

"Such a large abdomen you have here. It makes one wonder if you were designed to only be a breeder in the end. Or the advancement of insect types that are on earth. The possibility your cells can affect them as well will be quite the accomplishment." Leo had to separate a few limbs that were to far gone.

Not much could be done after the acid had burned most of it.

"Found some nice data on Thresher Maws." Maya walked over handing a datapad over. Her eyes paying close attention to the Rachni. Her inner scientist was nipping at the bit to get started. "Those look painful. How long will it take for the limbs to regrow back?"

"Hmm, a few days with some of my blood in the mix. If the treatment is viable anyway. If not, maybe 3 months or so." Leo lifted the outer carapace smoothly. Insectoid liquid but also a type of blood that refused to clot. "Curious..."

A.I.- That is Phloem. The Thorian also had this inside them. It would take extensive tests to check but the two species may have a closer connection than thought before.

'The living tissue in vascular plants that transports the soluble organic compounds made during photosynthesis and known as photosynthates... that makes sense for the Thorian, but..' Leo looked up tp Maya and picked at her for answers. "The Thresher Maw information sounds good for light reading, but what do you know of plants and insects?"

"Hmm, not much but the few benefits of an insect-only diet brings. You can relate to this considering your past." Maya had eaten a lot of different things to survive when she was a child and was homeless. "I can reach out to someone to get more information that is specialized."

"Sounds good to me." Leo placed the Thorian down on the connecting support structure the others had put up. "Do me a solid and ride back with her. Take a few others .. including Dr.Cohen. Still have some clean-up to do here before returning."

"Of course." Maya signaled the others to round up the remaining people from Binary Helix. "What about the various eggs? Do we just put them in stasis?"

The Rachni Queen became agitated at that. Almost enough to break the support restraints.

'Do not harm my children!'

"Easy now.. be at peace." Leo waved a hand of biotic energy to comfort her. Just enough spiritual energy added to stimulate the right parts of the body. "The eggs can be put on the support as well. No harm.. or experimenting on them. The living ones... the dead are fair game. I will not budge on that."

"But..."

"You will be busy with other subjects, so pipe down." Maya didn't question the reason for the change in the handling of the doctor. Specifically not having him under her purview. "Do you plan on killing the rest of the people inside the facility?"

A few of the others looked on wanting to know that answer as well. "I don't plan on it. But I will be taking some people against their will of course. Need some test subjects for something. No time for Pitter Patter."

*Chink!* Leo's armor broke apart as he stepped out of it. A few steps were exposed before a new one formed around. The dark green inlay that was highlighted gave an eerie feel to it. In a burst of speed, Leo was gone from sight.

"What was that?" Maya rubbed her temples a little disoriented. Looking around left the others a little weirded out as well. "When we get back, everyone submit video footage of the last 12 seconds."

The little phenomenon that affected them was Leo using a controlled Mass Effect Field. Even the Rachni was influenced by the effect it produced. It's large doom like yes watch the location Leo use to occupy.

"The suit is moving." A Cerebrus Soldier mentioned quickly. "Is it remote-controlled somehow?"

The Armour was remote-controlled but it was done by Leo's Spiritual Sense extended with control of his Omni-tool. The new upgrades needed to be put through the paces.

Something that should have taken hours to explore took minutes.

Leo bashed through as he made shortcuts to make it to where he needed to be. Using his Spiritual Sense to map corridor after corridor while moving. Penetrating deep into the structure and keeping track of those moving about.

'A deviation in orders. What is she up to I wonder?' The different teams under the Asari Commando beg a closer look. With a turn, he popped in on the situation unfolding. 'Alestia Iallis, agent of Saren.. memory servers she pretends to be a molecular geneticist. Her team will do.'

Right before he acted to knock them out, a transmission came in.

"Go ahead." Alestia answered while peering around. "This better not be about the Hot Labs."

The image that popped up was a cause for concern.

"No, it is not." Matriarch Aethyta was visible. "I am sure that will sort itself out. This is about your survival. Pull everyone out and get off-planet. We almost have Benezia and will regroup back to the landing zone."

"How did you manage such a thing?" Alestia's eyes narrowed at the display. "What about the intruders? What about that human Spectre causing trouble? Saren is growing annoyed." The last bit was spoken with ridicule. Like most, she thought it was just a bone to throw to the humans.

"Saren's problem is his own. All I care about is Liara and Benezia. The Matriarchs want them both to find out everything that is going on." The projected image looked to the side to observe something. Brow furrowed for a moment. "The situation is getting hot, get out while you can!"

Her warning was the end of the transmission.

"Tch! An old thing needs to stop causing problems." The Asari Commando was annoyed in the whole situation and was ready for a new assignment. "First those annoying Rachni, now this."

Leo walked out of his watch place, with a single strike of his hand, the security bots were bisected. The Commandoes reacted immediately by opening fire at him.

There was supposed to be some Geth working with her but not a one in sight. Instead more Commandoes with actual armor to withstand Energy weapons.

"Please... try a bit harder to kill me." Leo spoke calmly as he gauged the integrity of the armor. The readings highlight the shield drainage. Dozens to hundreds of shots that only chipped away at about 9% overall. "Hmm?"

*Beep! Beep!* An incoming call took the importance of these future test subjects. It was that much of a hassle since he started to engage them with defensive strikes and redirects.

Jennifer: Grissom Academy is under scrutiny thanks to the Alliance. I have taken several of the students and staff with. I am sending you the reasoning right now that they used.

"I'm sorry what?" Leo stopped moving long enough for a rocket to strike him in the face. The explosions covered the view to the Commandoes who thought they finally got him down. "What do you mean the Alliance actually threatened to arrest them?"

Jennifer: They mostly did it to pressure the instructors. Something big is going on around Mars. Was able to drink one under the table long enough to find out that some artifact that affects Biotics had been uncovered.

"What do you plan on doing with them now?" Ramming into two commandoes with a Biotic Charge, Leo kicked both Commandoes in the chest afterward. Cracking the chest plate and the sternum in one go. "That entire Operation is your responsibility."

*Wham!* The Asari flung several pipes towards Leo's head. They were going for keeps. Smart but not enough to cause a change. Stopping them midflight, his biotics wrapped around then smashed them back at the attackers.

"This thing is a monster!" Alestia Iallis was not liking this in the least. The fact they were toyed with was more than enough to hurt the Asari's Pride. "We need to get out of here now!"

"You ladies .. or men.. I can't tell which reflection you are. But you are to loud. Go to sleep." Leo was actually having trouble listening in. Even with the use of the contracts to communicate with. "Repeat what you said just then."

On the front of the armor, needles came out then shot towards the Asari. Burrowing through the weak points and injecting an Asari Neuro Toxin. Biotics flares erupted before they were all rendered helpless.

Jennifer: I said I am bringing them to the ship. Even the one you had an eye on. I know you can keep them safe from the Alliance and it is better to work with the Devil you know than the one you don't.

A.I.- Small traces of Indoctrination in each of them. I suggest returning to the ship to work on the prime candidates. You should be happy to have them. I doubt this will cause an overall fuss with the Alliance plan.

"Yeah, it shouldn't." Leo lifted up the Asari with biotics while dropping a few balls no bigger than softballs down. "Get started on the Omega situation. We need that another place to operate from."

A.I.- Are you planning on taking that mined-out asteroid for yourself. If so... I doubt Aria T'Loak allows it. Unless you plan on leveraging her daughter Liselle somehow.

"Me, not personally but Morinth can get that meeting for me." Leo sped up dropping more softball-size balls down. The first ones were just lighting up yellow while building up heat. The environment actually turning cold in the process. "If the Matriarchs are working against me, I will have to make a move using Asari to counter this. After checking the information myself of course. Matriarch Aethyta could be acting alone or using deception to get back Benezia."

A few more minutes later, the facility started to shake as large explosions ripped through it. The entire section turned into a glass enclosure with a thin icey overlay.