The Kodiak Shuttle rose into the air and smoothly flew out of the SSV Normandy, then headed toward the destination.
"Large group. Unusual. Worked in small groups. Convenient."
Mordin Solus began to chatter during the flight.
"Covert infiltration. Elimination. Work behind enemy lines. Dangerous. Yes. Could eliminate everyone. Knew the risks. Risk was justified."
He kept chattering and chattering as we moved toward the destination. Naturally, we couldn't fly exactly to the hospital, as there was some defense there, and we had to cover part of the way on foot.
And all this time, Mordin Solus kept talking!
"Doc..."
Unable to take it, I stopped our progress.
"...don't take this as an insult, but could you please shut up? Honestly, we're approaching an enemy base, and you just keep talking and talking. Seriously, if you want to reminisce about the old days in the STG, let's do it after we deal with your student—we'll sit in a bar, have a drink... you'll tell me about the scrapes you've been in, I'll tell you about the ones I've managed to get into..."
"Ha. Held out a long time."
A slight mockery could be heard in Mordin Solus's voice.
"Good patience. Good for a squad leader. Test. Successful test. Don't like talking during a mission. Was necessary for evaluation. Will consider the offer."
Honestly, right now I really wanted to shoot him.
"Mordin, as patient as the representatives of my Order are..."
Samara said this in a calm, even affectionate voice.
"...even I have developed a desire to create a small Singularity for you to disappear into. Especially after your last words."
"Oh... didn't think."
Mordin Solus shook his head, but his voice didn't sound like he had considered for a moment that he had done something wrong.
"Will be more careful."
A heavy sigh escaped my lips, after which I gestured for everyone to continue moving forward.
"Tali..."
As soon as we got closer, I gave a short order, and Tali immediately activated a Drone, which flew toward the hospital for more precise reconnaissance. And naturally, EDI took over the Drone's control.
And at the entrance, for some reason, there were only Varren, and also some red beetles, which a quick search identified as Klixens.
"Forward."
One word, and we moved toward the clinic, very quickly dealing with all the beasts that prevented us from getting inside.
"And here are the guests!"
The voice sounded with undisguised sarcasm, and it belonged to a large Krogan who was pacing on a small balcony, surrounded by other Krogan and Vorcha, all of them standing with weapons pointed at us.
"They've come! Come to spread the news of Clan Weylock's triumph! I would, of course, kill you all, but I was ordered not to touch you..."
These words were spoken in an extremely dissatisfied voice. It was clear that the Krogan would indeed have preferred to kill us. However, he was holding back.
"...to tell you about the triumph of our Clan, which will soon be cured of the Genophage, and then Clan Weylock will take revenge on everyone who oppressed it! First here, on Tuchanka, and then in Citadel Space! And even beyond!"
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
I tried to sound as little snide as possible, and I was lucky. Vorcha are quite stupid by nature and couldn't understand the sarcasm, while the Krogan were inspired by what their leader was saying and paid no attention to anything else.
"Destroy them!"
"Ah..."
Losing interest in the Krogan, I turned to my companions.
"...kill."
One word, and I immediately erected a Kinetic Barrier around us, Jack created a Singularity halfway between us and the main mass of the enemy, and Mother created a strong pull that literally threw the Krogan and Vorcha into the Singularity.
"Is that all?"
Mordin Solus blinked in surprise.
"What did you expect, Doc?"
Chifuyu Orimura cast a somewhat unkind look at the Salarian. She clearly didn't like the Doc's question, but she obviously wasn't going to conflict with him. And from her look, it was clear she already regretted stepping in with that question.
"Battle... Overcoming... Expression..."
These words were spoken in a somewhat lost voice, and the Pistol in Mordin Solus's hands lowered without having fired a single shot.
"We try to act effectively, not spectacularly."
Tali said this in a neutral tone.
"I didn't mean the spectacularity of the battles. I meant... the speed of the battle. Convenient to have several Biotics. Can easily perform multiple tasks. Did you even shoot when you were chasing Saren Arterius?"
"We shot."
Rebecca Lee answered with a slight mockery.
"When more than three Krogan and Vorcha are charging at you—a much larger horde of enemies, plus Geth—barriers don't save you from everything, and Biotic techniques don't have time to destroy the enemy completely. And that's when we have to shoot."
"I see. So, no problems so far. Can just enjoy the walk."
These words made Jack grit her teeth.
"Listen, you..."
She turned to the Salarian, and as soon as she took a step toward him with her hands glowing with Biotics.
"Sha."
A barrier appeared between them.
"Doc, don't provoke. I have more than just career military in my team, and you surely realized that. And for some of them..."
I glanced at Jack.
"...punching someone who's annoying is the norm. Jack..."
I shifted my gaze to the girl, who, closing her eyes, demonstratively took a deep breath and exhaled very slowly.
"I overreacted."
"Was not restrained."
Mordin Solus nodded, accepting Jack's apology and offering his own.
"Alright, let's move on."
I shook my head, while Samara, as I was dealing with them, created a barrier around us that I had to remove. So we continued moving under her protection.
However, we didn't really need this protection. There weren't that many enemies here, and they were mostly guarding prisoners. More precisely, Krogan females sitting in cells.
"Unscientific! Such an approach is unacceptable!"
Mordin Solus, finding himself at the first cell and taking the tablet attached to the wall next to it, read the data and was now grumbling very dissatisfiedly.
"This is not workable. Will lead to death. Will lead to..."
"Can this be fixed?"
"Fixed?"
Mordin Solus looked up at Jack, who had asked the question, and froze for a couple of seconds.
"Possibly. Will take time. Serious medical support. Without it, they won't survive."
"There will be support. My corporation will send a medical transport here with everything necessary."
Mordin Solus looked at me in confusion.
"That is good. Must move on."
After that, he only glanced briefly at the data, and with each tablet he read, he grew gloomier and gloomier. It was visible to the naked eye.
"Doc?"
Jack, apparently sensing the Salarian's state, caught up with him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Unacceptable. Punish. Did many bad things. Experiments on living? Only final phase. Confirm success. Catch last non-critical errors. Not like this. Not these methods. Must stop."
"John, Doc, he..."
"He's just very upset."
I said this in a voice that didn't hold a drop of pity for the future corpse. Specifically, a corpse. Initially, I had thought about trying to save Maelon Heptorn, to persuade Mordin Solus not to kill him, but only because I had information—perhaps untrue—from the game that there were many volunteers here. And they only showed us a few survivors.
Here, however...
The scale is staggering, and this cannot be forgiven. Yes, Maelon Heptorn's goals are noble—to help the Krogan, to fix the mistake made by his people and Citadel Space. But the methods...
No, there are no saints in this world, and if the ladies were sitting in comfortable wards and were volunteers, I would turn a blind eye to all of this. But like this... in cages... on the unwilling...
"And we are moving exactly toward the one who caused this distress. So soon everything will be... better."
"Well... okay. He's a strange guy, but that state..."
Jack shook her head.
"...that's very not good."
After these words, it became clear that Jack isn't such a bitch and a thorn after all. No, I realized this before, as EDI reported to me on her condition. Moreover, she started growing her hair out, and this is important because such a style change was caused by a desire to finally close the past chapter and enter a new life. But she hadn't been in a hurry to demonstrate this in front of everyone until this moment.
"Thank you."
Mordin Solus nodded gratefully to the girl.
"Not worth the concern. I am composed and ready to act. Maelon Heptorn must be punished, and I, as the teacher, must correct his mistake."
"And what mistake are you going to correct, Doc?"
Rebecca Lee, however, dripped venom, which didn't go unnoticed by everyone.
"To start, cure the women."
"Ah..."
She nodded but said nothing more, as she ran into my warning look. In literally twenty minutes, we reached the laboratory, the door to which opened.
"Don't interfere with me!"
Maelon Heptorn, apparently, didn't even know that very important guests were coming to him.
"Interfere? No... I'm just going to kill you."
"T-Teacher?"
The Salarian's whole body flinched upon hearing Mordin Solus's voice.
"You... came to stop me?"
"Yes. Your actions... unacceptable."
"Unacceptable? Mine? I killed a couple of hundred, and would have killed as many more, but I would have saved billions!"
The guy threw up his hands. Although by Salarian standards he is already an established man, while Mordin Solus is an old man.
"Saved? By removing the Genophage? The Genophage is necessary."
"And have you seen its result?"
"Everyone agreed."
Mordin Solus wasn't listening to his student.
"Common decision. Heavy. However, necessary."
Jack clenched her fists; earlier she didn't really understand who Mordin Solus was, but now, now there wasn't a gram of former sympathy left in her gaze. There was only hatred.
"Krogan reproduce too quickly and are aggressive. They already started one war against the Citadel, and it was required to prevent another. Best solution."
"Best?! Everyone agreed? Well, of course! It was the proposal of the brilliant Mordin Solus! And who was I? Assistant?!"
"Methods..."
Mordin Solus shook his head. I got the impression that he was letting part of his student's words go in one ear and out the other. Moreover, he didn't even stick to any line of conversation.
"...unforgivable. Such is punishable by death."
A Pistol appeared in Mordin Solus's hand.
"By death, yes? So be it! I did what I thought was right! Just like you, when you cursed the Krogan to extinction!"
"Not extinction. Birth rate limitation."
"Tell that to the women sitting in my cages. Most of them are still very young, and in their whole lives, they haven't been able to lay a single live egg! Not one!"
Mordin Solus flinched.
"I... will check this data. However, your sentence..."
"Doc..."
Jack unexpectedly intervened in the conversation.
"...what's the difference between you two?"
Mordin Solus turned his gaze to her, full of bewilderment.
"Only in scale. If I understood correctly, you're responsible for the Genophage, right? So how many children did you kill simply by not allowing them to be born? And how many did he kill?"
She tilted her head toward his student.
"You both belong in hell. So why are you only sending him there?"
"Suggestions?"
"Send him to a clinic on the Citadel, let's say... I think John can arrange it, and there he will be an honorable prisoner. And he will, by saving lives, atone for his sins... and it would be useful for you too."
"Hmm..."
Mordin Solus thought very deeply about Jack's words, while I only mentally shook my head. I didn't expect such words from her.
***
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