As the team descends deeper into the dimly lit mine, the round shaft slopes downward at a steep 30-degree angle until they finally reach the ground floor, instantly encountering more Geth.
Without wasting a second, Shepard casts Overload and follows it up with Push, blasting away an incoming Geth Shock Trooper.
Alex spots another one and fires his [Brawler-Pistol], quickly taking it down with the help of his squad right behind him.
You have dealt 41 damage to Geth Shock Trooper
You have dealt 45 damage to Geth Shock Trooper
You have destroyed Geth Shock Trooper
They race through the tunnel until they come across an old elevator—clearly designed for cargo, not people.
Alex narrows his eyes at it, the memory from the game coming back.
"...This looks sketchy. Look this thing is obviously not in a good condition…. Maybe we should find another way dow—" Alex starts, but Shepard grabs him and yanks him in. The others hesitate, but reluctantly follow.
"No time, and there is no other way! Don't worry about it! Want to hold my hand to calm your nerves?" she asks, clearly amused.
"Yes, please…" Alex says flatly, stretching out his hand, not giving her the satisfaction of getting embarrassed again.
Snickering, Shepard slaps it away and hits the nearby button. The elevator groans and begins to descend with an awful screech.
Please don't break… please don't bre—
Without warning, the elevator drops almost instantly, picking up speed and slamming into the ground. One side shatters completely.
Reacting instantly, Alex channels Aura and grabs onto a railing, barely managing to keep himself grounded—just in time to see Tali, the lightest among them, flung straight out of the wrecked elevator, towards the lower ground.
Fuck this!
Alex uses his Aura to jump after her, managing to catch her mid-air only seconds before impact.
Ken!
He pulls Tali into his arms, staring down at her face, barely able to make out her eyes behind her mask, staring at him.
They crash into the ground violently, but thanks to his new armor, raw stats, and the use of Ken, the impact barely fazes him. It would've been lethal for any normal human.
"Vot! Damn that elevator!" Tali shouts.
"Keelah… I thought I was done for. Thank you for saving me," she says, still held tightly in Alex's arms.
"Stop making out with each other. We have a job to do," Shepard calls out, standing over them with a smirk as they slowly attempt to rejoin the others.
A distant voice suddenly echoes: "Uh… hello? Could somebody help me? Please?"
"..." Alex swallows his comeback and keeps quiet, resisting the urge to insult his 'Commander'. He gets up, brushes himself off, and reaches a hand out to Tali, who takes it and lets him pull her up.
"My back… my back…" Alex mutters, rubbing it for show—despite his armor making the motion pointless.
"Stop your silly acting. I'll order Williams to give you a massage once we're back on the Normandy. Now move it," Shepard says.
"Commander…" Ashley grumbles, clearly embarrassed.
I just wanted to say it once for fun… Looks like luck is on my side! My LUK is back!
"HELLO?! Can you hear me out there?!" the voice continues, growing louder and more desperate.
"I'd say that blue Asari being trapped in the blue bubble-barrier, behind the blue energy field, screaming for help… could be a clue," Shepard says dryly.
"That's a good deduction. Three times blue? Must be a clue," Garrus chimes in with a grin.
Puns… space puns….
"Not so sure, Shepard. Might be a Geth in disguise," Wrex jokes.
Tali kicks him. "Bosh'tet. Your stupidity is too much for me after I nearly died because of that stupid elevator!"
"You're too soft, little Quarian!" Wrex grins.
The team finally turns to face the source of the screaming—Liara, still trapped and shouting.
"I am trapped! I need help!" she yells, her voice shrill now.
"Quit shouting. Geth are still around," Shepard snaps at her.
Alex takes the opportunity to study her more closely.
She has deep blue skin, large sapphire-colored eyes, and a tight, white-green uniform designed for fieldwork—but with a clear touch of elegance. Her 'hair'—the soft head-ridges unique to Asari—are smoother than most, a clear marker of her youth.
Damn, she is fucking hot… Am I weird for wanting to lick those ridges? Maybe suck on them? I better not say that out loud.
"Sorry… I'm a little out of it. I'm Dr. Liara T'Soni, an archaeologist! Listen, this thing is a Prothean security field. I can't move. You need to get me out. Alright?"
Shepard narrows her eyes, not buying it just yet. "Your mother is working with Saren. Whose side are you on?"
"What? I'm not on anybody's side! I may be Benezia's daughter, but I'm nothing like her. I haven't spoken to her in years. Please believe me. Please… help me get out of here," Liara pleads.
"Curious how you ended up in that weird bubble…" Alex asks.
Liara's eyes meet Alex's, and for a moment, he tries to act casual under her gaze. She finally responds.
"I was exploring the ruins when the Geth showed up, so I hid in here. Can you believe that? Geth! They should be beyond the Veil! Anyway, I activated the defenses—been stuck here a while. I hoped the barriers would keep them out. But when I turned it on, I must've hit something I wasn't supposed to, and now I'm trapped inside this thing. Please get me out!"
"So, how are we supposed to get through the barrier if it's still active? Obviously, the Geth couldn't get in, and she's trapped, so we're in the same position," Tali says, crossing her arms.
"True… maybe we just dig beneath it or something," Alex jokes with a shrug.
"Stupid… do you really want to dig?" Shepard shoots him a glare.
"Of course not, but come on—this is a mine, or dig site, right? They got all the way down here somehow. Wouldn't surprise me if there's equipment nearby."
"That's actually a smart idea," Liara says, perking up. "If the barrier is limited in scope, digging underneath it might just work. But please, be careful. I've seen Geth… and a Krogan! They're looking for a way in, too."
"Let's search the area and see what we can find. Stay alert—there could be Geth around," Shepard orders, heading off into the open mine that extends away from the elevator and Liara's bubble.
The group walks for several minutes before encountering a few Geth patrolling the path.
Kaidan, Tali, and Shepard immediately hit them with Overload, stripping their shields. Everyone opens fire, overwhelming them.
Alex raises his [Brawler-Pistol], missing half his shots—but the vulnerable Geth still go down fast as he fires again and again.
You have dealt 44 damage to Geth Trooper
You have dealt 41 damage to Geth Trooper
You have dealt 48 damage to Geth Trooper
You have destroyed Geth Trooper
The three Geth patrolling fall in seconds under the squad's combined firepower.
Alex grins and snatches up another [Geth Part].
"I see an old mining laser," Shepard points out. "Had some experience with them. Tali, can you check it? Shouldn't be impossible to get it working."
"Of course, Shepard. It's old, but for Quarian standards? Practically brand new," she quips, kneeling beside it.
"You Quarians really don't have it easy, huh? If we take down Saren, I hope you get something out of it," Alex says, aware of the difficult situation the Quarians live in.
"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. The Geth were a mistake," Ashley mutters bluntly.
"Ash… is this really the time to bring that up?" Kaidan cuts in, frowning.
Tali quietly focuses on the device, her earlier lightheartedness clearly gone. The atmosphere turns heavy.
Alex walks over and crouches beside her. "You alright? Don't let her words get to you…"
"Alex, we were exiled three centuries ago. Ever since then our people…. It's not something I can just ignore. But… yeah, it hurts when people constantly bring it up. We're paying for our ancestors' mistakes—or maybe just their bad luck."
"Saren might give us some answers. Maybe even the first step to turning things around," Alex replies gently.
"Maybe… Thank you. I think I've got it!"
"Shepard, I think the laser still works. But power's low—it'll only run for a few seconds. I'll calibrate it to aim beneath the barrier… it should be enough. The controls are over there." She points to a nearby panel.
"No time to lose," Shepard says, immediately activating it.
A brilliant yellow beam erupts from the mining laser, tearing through the rock beneath the barrier. The ground shakes violently before the beam dies down.
Looking into the hole left behind, they see it has created a clear passage to the other side.
"Good work, Tali. You too, Kerber," Shepard says. "Keep this up and I might let you pick one more girl to add to that massage roster—besides Williams."
"Commander, please! Drop it already. This is humiliating," Ashley snaps, her face turning red.
"Does that include you, Commander?" Alex asks, smirking.
"Heh. If you dare, sure. Though I might just give you a biotic massage straight to the spine."
"Pass…" Alex mutters, and the squad begins making their way back.
Climbing through the freshly dug hole, they reach the other side of the barrier.
"That's an elevator. A Prothean one?" Garrus asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Sure beats your damn human elevators," Tali mutters, still irritated.
They step onto the platform and ascend to Liara's level. Rushing to her, they find her still suspended mid-air in the blue containment bubble, this time facing the other way—desperately trying to twist around.
Alex can't help but inspect her from behind...
Nice ass…!
"You men disgust me," Ashley groans, eyeing Alex, Kaidan, and even Wrex, who's casually ogling alongside them.
"You really need to relax, human. Take it easy for once. Maybe after that massage, the Lieutenant should give you one in return. Might do you some good," Wrex says.
"Shut up!" she snaps, flustered.
"Please free me already! More Geth could arrive! That button should deactivate the containment field!" Liara pleads, pointing.
"We can use the elevator to get back up afterward," she adds.
Shepard promptly presses it, and Liara falls to the ground, catching her together with Alex.
"Thank you!" She says, looking relieved and slightly embarrassed as she's being held by the two humans.
The group of eight begins walking toward the console and elevator.
The final battle is approaching—time to get serious.
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