Alex stares at the figure lying on the ground in complete shock. She isn't moving, and the water pooled beneath the geothermal taps around her is stained deep red.
Ashley…! She's dead…?!
Up ahead, Shepard is still exchanging fire with Saren, who hovers above the ground with terrifying control. Enraged, Shepard doesn't just shoot—she's throwing everything she has at him. Biotics, tech skills, anything that might land. But Saren weathers most of it or dodges entirely, retaliating with bursts from his heavily modified Geth Pulse Rifle. One of his shots lands squarely, forcing Shepard to retreat, wounded and bleeding.
Alright—time to snap out of it!
"You stay back! This is too dangerous!" Alex yells over his shoulder at the Krogans.
"Human, are you joking?" Khorga snaps back. "We are Krogans!"
Without another word, the Krogans join the chaos, flanking the enemy with the help of the Normandy crew.
Fine! Do what you want, then!
Alex quickly activates his comms. "This is Kerber! The Krogans are our allies! Don't shoot at them—please trust me!"
Without waiting for confirmation, he charges into the battle. His eyes immediately lock onto Saren, who is still focused entirely on Shepard. A twisted smile stretches across the Turian's partially mechanical face.
I still have a lot of Aura left, and my MP is back to full. Time to go all out. I'll spam every spell I've got. Die, you bastard!
Drawing his [Brawler-Pistol] and [Enchanted Runeblade], Alex casts Thundara, targeting Saren directly.
You have dealt 101 x 2 = 202 damage to Saren
The spell slams into Saren, crackling through his cybernetic body. All those mechanical augmentations make him more vulnerable to lightning. And now, with his shields gone, the spell is even more effective.
Saren howls in pain as his shields get broken and his body is hit by the lightning.
Alex quickly casts Thundara again. Another bolt of lightning tears through the air and strikes him dead-on. This time, Saren falters in mid-air, stunned and struggling to comprehend what just hit him.
You have dealt 96 x 2 = 192 damage to Saren
"HUMAN SCUM! I WILL RIP YOU APART!" Saren bellows, his voice distorted and booming as he turns away from Shepard and sets his full attention on Alex.
He charges forward with his hovercraft, spraying Alex with rapid fire from his pulse rifle.
Grinning, Alex quickly dashes into the nearby building. The heavy door closes behind him just in time, absorbing the shots easily.
As it shuts, Alex gives Saren the middle finger, smiling at him in amusement.
Outside, Saren's voice is muffled but still audible.
"I WILL SKIN YOU ALIVE!"
Not wasting time, Alex pulls out his Annihilation Grenades, lights them up all at once, then immediately throws them through the re-opening doorway before slamming it shut again.
Explosions erupt outside—dozens of them. The detonations rattle the building and shake the ground.
Endless amounts of system messages appear.
You have dealt 21 damage to Saren
You have dealt 2 damage to Saren
…
You have dealt 1 damage to Saren
You have dealt 7 damage to Saren
Alex steps outside, not wasting time. He sees Saren kneeling on his hovercraft, smoke pouring from his armor.
Alex immediately casts Thundara once more, striking Saren hard. The hovercraft jolts, almost crashing into the nearest wall as it wobbles and sputters in mid-air.
You have dealt 99 x 2 = 198 damage to Saren
"I WON'T FORGET THIS! YOU WILL DIE! YOU WILL ALL DIE! KERBER, I WILL TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU! YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THIS PLANET!" Saren roars and then takes off, fleeing the battlefield in a trail of smoke and sparks.
"Run away like the coward you are, you pathetic piece of shit!" Alex yells, enhancing his voice with Nen to make sure Saren hears him.
But the moment Saren disappears, every single Geth on the battlefield stops what they are doing, only to face Alex in perfect sync.
He's ordered them to target me! Shit!
Alex turns back to reenter the building, only to find the door jammed shut.
Are you kidding me?!
You have received 45 damage (blocked by shields)
You have received 41 damage (blocked by shields)
…
Shields destroyed
You have received 41 damage
You have received 54 damage
You have received 45 damage
The barrage is relentless. With no other option, Alex triggers Sealion's Icewing Embrace, conjuring the icy armor around him, and starts sprinting toward the Normandy.
You have received 11 damage
Icewing Embrace durability -2
You have received 12 damage
Icewing Embrace durability -2
The Geth, ignoring everything else on the battlefield, charge after him. Their obsession with killing Alex leaves them completely exposed—and the Normandy crew and Krogans exploit the opportunity. They pick them off one by one with ruthless efficiency.
You have received 16 damage
Icewing Embrace durability -2
…
Running out of options and cover, Alex leaps into the air as high as he can and glides toward the Normandy. It's landed at the top of the geothermal site. With one last burst of strength, he pulls himself up and collapses flat against the roof, breathing hard, shielding himself from further fire.
I made it…
From his position, he watches the remaining Geth being destroyed. Their targeting routines are still locked on him—they fire against the Normandy with no visible damage until they are all destroyed by the others.
It's over… but … despite my effort… Ashley. Wait! I need to try!
Alex jumps and glides from the Normandy and races toward his fallen comrade, cancelling his Icewing Embrace. The rest of the squad is already gathered around her.
He reaches them quickly and drops to his knees. Her armor is shredded, especially around her abdomen, where she's clearly taken the worst of it. Blood is everywhere.
He activates Gyo, focusing all his Aura into his eyes—and sees it. Faint, but unmistakable. A flicker of Aura still remains in her body.
Without hesitation, he pulls out a [Wiggenweld Potion V2], opens it, and forcefully pours it down her throat.
The effect is nearly immediate. Probably due to her lower constitution—only about twice that of a regular human—the potion works wonders. Her breathing steadies, and her face relaxes just slightly.
[Wiggenweld Potion V2]
World: Harry Potter / Wizarding World / Fantasy Realm
Quality: Deep Green
Effect: Instantly heals 50 HP and minor to medium wounds. Slightly reduces the effectiveness of similar healing items.
Note: This Wiggenweld Potion has been improved with various common ingredients and Bubotubers.
Alex, not holding back, pulls out one more potion from his inventory.
She's still badly hurt. Even if the healing is reduced, it should at least help stabilize her!
He empties the second [Wiggenweld Potion V2] into Ashley's mouth. Moments later, her body jolts, and she begins coughing violently, sputtering as she gasps for air.
"What the—?! Ash!!" Kaidan exclaims, eyes wide with disbelief, as he hugs her tightly.
Everyone nearby stares at Alex in stunned silence.
"Kerber! What did you do?!" Shepard asks, still recovering from the shock.
"Let's talk later," Alex says, lifting Ashley's body and carrying her toward the Normandy.
"Evacuate now! The bomb is going to blow in a few minutes!" Shepard yells out.
The Normandy crew, along with the female Krogans, rushes up the ramp leading into the garage.
"Joker! We're on board! Get us out of here—now!" Shepard yells through the comms.
As the Normandy ascends, a massive explosion rips through Virmire. The facility erupts into flames, consumed entirely by the blast, leaving behind only shattered ruins and thick clouds of smoke.
"Hopefully Kirrahe and his squad made it out in time," Liara murmurs, looking worried.
Alex, still shaken from his death battle earlier, takes the elevator up, carrying Ashley straight to the med bay, where Dr. Chakwas is already preparing.
"Get that armor off her—now!" she commands.
Alex obeys immediately, forcefully removing what remains of her broken armor. Her stomach is a mess—torn open, with parts of the plating fused to her skin.
Dr. Chakwas works quickly, applying Medigel and several other compounds before grabbing tweezers and carefully pulling out every fragment of embedded armor.
Alex stands there for a moment, clearly in the way, and eventually decides to step out.
Shepard and Kaidan enter just as he exits the room. Alex turns to them and says, "She's not out of danger, but… I think she'll make it. Dr. Chakwas is doing everything she can."
"You did good," Shepard says, nodding at him.
Kaidan suddenly pulls him into a hug. "You saved her. Thank you, Alex!"
"She's my comrade, too. You don't need to thank me," Alex replies calmly.
"Alenko, stay with her," Shepard orders. "I need to check in at the cockpit, see if Kirrahe and his men made it. Kerber, I trust you've got the Krogans under control?"
"They're female Krogans captured by Saren. I'm vouching for them," Alex explains.
"They were a big help… Anyway, confiscate their weapons, and make sure we're not getting backstabbed when we least expect it," Shepard says, heading toward the stairs. But before she walks up, she turns back to face him. "Thank you. You saved me, too."
"No problem," Alex says with a faint smile. She nods again, then disappears up the lift.
Alex turns to Kaidan. "Take care of her," he says, and then steps into the elevator himself, descending back to the garage.
There, he spots the Krogans gathered in the corner, deep in conversation with Wrex, who looks surprised to see them.
Before he can join them, he's approached by Tali, Liara, and Garrus. Liara throws her arms around him in a quick, impulsive hug, then awkwardly steps back, realizing what she's doing.
"What did you even do?" Garrus asks. "She just... woke up. What kind of miracle medicine was that?"
"Just a healing potion," Alex replies. "I don't know the exact mechanics—cost me a fortune. I was saving them for emergencies. But they only work under the right conditions. Someone like Benezia was too far gone… Ashley's injuries were severe, but her organs were intact. So the potion could still do its job."
"Anyway, I've got orders to disarm the Krogans. Garrus, can you help me collect their weapons?" Alex asks.
"Of course," Garrus says.
They approach the group, and Alex speaks up. "You're welcome on board the Normandy, but I've been ordered to disarm you. Please hand your weapons over to Garrus."
The female Krogans glance at each other, then quietly pile their weapons into Garrus's arms. He struggles to carry the load but walks off without complaint, leaving Alex alone with Wrex and the others.
Without delay, Alex pulls out the two data sticks and hands them to Wrex.
"These contain the results of Saren's Genophage research!"
"Not Saren's attempts. Mine," Khorga cuts in firmly.
"Pssst. Quiet," Alex whispers. "We're picking up the Salarians, also keep it to yourself! Also, think about a few cover stories and focus on the cloning part of the research."
Wrex looks stunned. "Human… what is the result of the research?"
"From what she said, it doubles the current rate of viable Krogan births. It's still a terrible curse, but this is a major improvement. And if you give Khorga resources, she might be able to improve those numbers even further."
Wrex doesn't respond—he simply hugs Alex, tight. Thanks to Alex's high STR and PHY, the bone-crushing embrace doesn't hurt.
[World Quest completed
Mission: Hand over the Genophage Data to an interested party.
Warning: Depending on your choices, there are far-reaching consequences!
Reward: [Uzin's Blessing]
Time Limit: —
Failure: —]
"Alex… take this," Wrex says, pulling out a small, blood-red charm. "You've done something no one else ever has. I consider you a lifelong friend—and the savior of my people."
Alex studies the charm. It's shaped like two spears, their blades dripping in carved blood. A Krogan emblem of vengeance.
"This was passed down from the leader of Clan Urdnot for over 1000 years," Wrex continues. "It's in honor of Uzin, god of vengeance. I know it's not much compared to what you've done, but it's the most precious thing I own."
[Uzin's Blessing]
World: Mass Effect
Type: Blessing
Quality: Deep Gold
Effect: Sacrifice any item up to Deep Blue quality to create a new item. The new item's quality and effects depend on the compatibility of the sacrificed item and random chance.
Note: Uzin is the god of vengeance, worshipped by many Krogans. The Krogans have even named a planet after him in reverence.
Note: Can't be traded, can't be taken out of this world, and will disappear exactly 24 hours after obtaining this item.
------------------------------------------------
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