Did I establish relations with my sisters?
Well, we agreed to maintain contact and at least try to get to know each other, so you could say yes. I found common ground with my sisters; of course, we can't exactly be called a family yet, but it was clear progress. I also introduced them to Oriana, and they've already found common ground.
But none of that matters now, as Tevos has finally given me a mission.
And that mission was to infiltrate a secret STG base where they were conducting some kind of experiments. Tevos found out about it completely by accident. The task was to infiltrate the base to understand exactly what they were doing there.
My Kodiak Shuttle, which was specially designed for stealth infiltration, had just landed on a planet in the Terminus Systems where this base was located. Unfortunately, due to the shuttle's special coating, no communication was available to me at all, but I accepted that.
Checking my gear, I left the shuttle and headed toward the STG base, which was about a three-day journey on foot. And those three days were to pass in silence and tension.
** A few days later. **
"Finally..."
I said it in a quiet voice, but relief was audible in it. Still, landing three days away has both pros and cons. While the pros include minimal chances of detection, the cons are the extremely long time required to reach the destination.
"Now I need to figure out exactly how I'm supposed to get in here..."
However, there weren't many choices, as the entrance to the base known to Tevos was the only one. And that was exactly what I had to use. But walking straight to it and almost certainly falling under STG surveillance would be somewhat stupid. So, first, let's arrange a small diversion.
From the corps' stores, I took out quite a lot of explosives used by Batarians; besides, I was currently wearing Batarian armor. So...
With a slight smirk, I placed several explosive charges, then moved away from the base and pressed the detonator button.
Several fairly strong explosions rang out, and immediately a squad of Salarians ran out of the bunker, rushing to check exactly what had happened. While they were checking, I observed them cautiously. I didn't even think about trying to hack their Omni-tools. I'm no genius to hack STG operatives' Omni-tools from a distance.
When the time came, I activated a few more charges, but they no longer attracted much attention from the frogs.
They did, of course, send small squads for reconnaissance, but these were no longer large units, but trios of fighters. Activating a drone controlled by a very thin wire, I directed it toward the bunker, and it ran inside when the door opened to let another group of Salarians back in. While they were passing through, I managed to direct it to the panel. The drone itself was the size of an ant, so it slipped into a small gap in the panel where it met the wall. And there, it connected to the circuit.
The door closed, and the connection with the drone was severed.
It seemed like the end, but no. I sent the next drone to the bunker, but this time I was interested in the camera located above the entrance. Once again, the drone connected to it, after which I gained access to the drone that was inside. And not just to it, but to the bunker's security system. Now I knew how many cameras and sensors were located around the entrance and where they were.
Bypassing them wasn't difficult; after all, this base is more of a secret one—when you build such a base, you either have to rely on stealth, but then you must install minimal electronics outside since the base can be detected through them, or you build a full-fledged fortified castle, something like what Saren did on Virmire, but then you can forget about stealth.
Walking down the corridor, I reached the first obstacle: the security room. As far as I could tell, there were Salarians there, and they were without their helmets. That's an oversight...
However, I understood why. Few people are capable of constantly wearing helmets outside of combat conditions. Of course, Quarians can, but their situation is different; besides, they've been used to it since early childhood, whereas other races have a different situation.
So I took a sleep gas grenade from my belt and, carefully unpinning it, directed it so that its gas would enter the room. Fortunately, they weren't monitoring the door; they were looking at the monitors, so when the door opened slightly, part of the grenade was pushed inside, with its power set to minimum, which allowed it to avoid attracting attention with a loud hissing of gas.
Several bodies fell, and soon I was inside the security room.
Once inside, I connected to the computer and uploaded several viruses that made me completely invisible to the base's security systems. The Salarians were injected with additional cocktails that wouldn't let them wake up, after which I moved on, now checking against the bunker's floor plan.
Down to the minus first floor...
Then the minus second...
Third...
And so on until the fifth, where the most secret developments were. While there was nothing truly important from the first to the third, on the fourth, I found data that made me frown. Work was being done here on Quarians. And no, it wasn't work to improve their immunity, but the opposite...
I didn't understand why they would do this, as the suit-wearers already have quite weak immunity, but I downloaded the data, realizing there was no time to figure it out now. After that, I went to the fifth, where my luck ran out.
A siren...
I hadn't thought that the floors might have independent security systems, and on minus five, it was exactly like that, but there were almost no fighters on the floor, so I decided to act boldly. A few shots and the fighters were dead, though, of course, STG scientists shouldn't be underestimated.
Shots... they started shooting at me quite unexpectedly, but I still covered myself with a biotic barrier, after which I eliminated those who had opened fire on me. However, I eliminated the rest of the scientists as well, then connected to the computer and, having downloaded the data, I began to break out.
Grenades flew at me, and not just those; they also managed to set up heavy machine guns in the corridors... and if I had decided to act by conventional methods, I would have certainly died. But I had anticipated the possibility of a forceful breakout.
A few sticky grenades on the ceiling, then repeat, and then direct a Singularity into the resulting indentation. Then grenades again... in this way, I reached the fourth floor, then after shifting slightly to the side, the third, and so on. Only from the minus first floor did I actually have to fight my way through, but even here, I simply created a barrier around myself in the shape of a bullet and propelled myself toward the exit with a Charge.
In general, audacity in this case was not the second, but the first blessing...
"Oh, hell..." only a day later, having moved far enough away from the STG base, was I able to inspect myself and noticed that the armor had almost become unusable in many places. And this was despite the fact that I am a very strong biotic and wasn't shy about demonstrating it. Naturally, I noticed this during a short halt, when the opportunity arose to inspect myself and also briefly review the data I had managed to steal. Of course, not everything was there, far from everything, but... it was enough to draw conclusions about exactly what the Salarians were doing.
And what I saw, of course, didn't give me a full understanding, as there were a lot of formulas, but my VI, having studied the data and made a short summary, gave a definitive answer.
They were working on Ardat-Yakshi genes.
Moreover, they weren't trying to cure this disease, but were trying to turn a genetic anomaly into a virus that is transmitted from Asari to Asari by... various means. And it was disgusting. So disgusting that I immediately changed my plans.
Leaving the base intact was out of the question. However, I harbored no illusions—I wouldn't destroy it alone, but I could do otherwise...
Returning to the shuttle, I disregarded camouflage and quickly lifted it into space, after which I contacted Tevos.
"Listening?"
"Code Red. Biological weapons development is underway; transmitting data. From what I've managed to find out, the weapon is being developed against Quarians and Asari. For the Asari, it's the conversion of the Ardat-Yakshi genetic defect into a viral disease."
"Are you sure?"
"Completely. Sending the data. Awaiting further instructions."
"Where are you?"
"In the planet's orbit. I figured the data was much more important than..."
"Understood, ten minutes to study the data, don't disappear from the line."
"Understood."
Ten minutes flew by like an hour, but I understood perfectly well that I couldn't decide anything myself right now. But what I didn't expect was for several blips to appear on the radar, corresponding to STG combat shuttles.
"Performing maneuver to avoid combat engagement."
"Cancel, leave the system. You got the data; the rest is no longer your job. Thank you."
The last words were said more quietly and much more warmly than the rest of the phrase, after which the connection was severed, and I executed the order and retreated. Running is always easier than fighting.
** A view from the side. **
"Valern, I demand an answer from you..."
At a closed meeting of the Council, Tevos addressed her colleague.
"...not long ago, I became aware of a secret STG base..."
"Well, there's nothing unusual in that..."
The Salarian Councilor smiled snidely.
"...all secret units have such bases. I'm sure both the Turians and the Asari have them."
"You're right..."
Tevos nodded, while a smile appeared on her lips that told those in the know she was currently in a rage.
"...everyone has such bases, but not all of them develop biological weapons against the races belonging to Citadel Space, nor those outside it either."
"Biological weapons?"
Valern gave a forced smile.
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"And I'll show you right now... here is the data obtained by an agent of the Spectre corps. For example, on the minus fourth floor, they were developing ways to make Quarian immunity even weaker."
The data appeared over the middle of the table.
"This is..."
"Don't interrupt me, Valern, because..."
Tevos flared with biotics but calmed down very quickly—or rather, didn't calm down, but took her emotions under control.
"...on minus five, they were developing a virus that was supposed to transfer the Ardat-Yakshi genetic defect from genetic defects into, strictly speaking, a contagious virus. And now I demand explanations. What the fuck?"
The frog broke into a sweat.
"Tevos, I didn't know about this... you must understand, we perform representative functions here, and the Dalatress runs the Union, not me..."
"Well, then contact her... right here and now, because this data has already been seen by the Council of Matriarchs, and they are eager to get an answer. Are these developments a declaration of war against the Republics? Or are you just morons who got carried away with science?"
"I... right now..."
Valern was panicking; he couldn't even imagine that such developments were being conducted, and even if they were, what kind of morons did they have to be for them to fall into the hands of those against whom the work was being conducted!
"Valern, I am somewhat busy..."
"Dalatress, a matter of life and death. Councilor Tevos just provided me with data..."
The Councilor rattled on at such a speed as to manage to say everything necessary before the Dalatress cut the connection.
"...which was stolen, as she claims, from one of the secret STG bases. And among this data is information about the development of a virus that would make all Asari Ardat-Yakshi."
The Dalatress had wanted to cut the connection already, but the last words made her change her mind.
"The Council of Matriarchs has already been notified. And now..."
Valern's Omni-tool gave a signal, and having opened it, he turned pale.
"...an official note has arrived. They demand an answer from me: is this a declaration of war against the Asari Republics?"
"This is..."
In the voice of the Union's ruler, the gears began to turn with incredible force. She understood perfectly well that in the event of a direct confrontation, they would simply be crushed. Moreover, even the Quarians, who are currently in a very sorry state, are capable of doing it. Yes, they would lose many ships, but they would be able to destroy the Salarians, turning them from great races into users of the axe and spear.
"...I do not know of such research..."
The Dalatress clearly chose a specific line of behavior.
"...so, most likely, these are just the research of a handful of renegades. Believe me, the Union has nothing to do with such things."
"Really? So the reports sent personally to you are some kind of stupid joke?"
"Kha... I'm afraid I know nothing of the sort."
"Well, then, I will report this to the Council of Matriarchs, as well as the fact that you were unable to refute the accusations brought against you."
"Councilor Tevos, one should not act so rashly. You surely understand that on the eve of a global war, such a deterioration of relations could be fatal for both sides of the conflict."
"Oh, yes... and your stab in the back will one hundred percent put an end to the Asari. So I will inform the Council of Matriarchs, and they will be the ones making the decision."
Tevos stood up from her seat and prepared to leave but stopped.
"Sparatus, if I were you, I would report it too... because if such developments are being conducted against us, then something is surely being developed against you as well. Think about it."
Having said this, she left the office, while Sparatus, who hadn't uttered a word during the entire conversation, sighed and, getting up, headed for the exit. Only Valern and the hologram of the Dalatress remained in the office.
"Mistress..."
"Everything later... it seems we will have to reconsider relations with the other Council Races..."
***
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