"...but my real passion is biotics. Such a fascinating natural phenomena, and there's so little we really know about it," Caelip Faerlan said wistfully, eyes a little unfocused as he stumbled alongside his once-in-a-lifetime date. "But I'm sure that's boring to you."
"Boring? Oh, not at all, it's something of a fascination of mine," Morinth said warmly, a slight smile curving her lips. "And I do appreciate a man who puts passion into his work." The salarian mumbled happily as his cheeks turned a brighter shade of red, thoroughly entwined in the enthralling gaze of the psychopathic asari.
"Oh..w-well you should see my...oh?" Caelip stumbled into the door frame of his apartment, leaning against it for a few seconds before realizing he wasn't moving inside and corrected himself. "...ahh...latest creation. Should help revolutionize biotics as we know them."
"Oh?" Morinth feigned ignorance. "And what incredible creation is that?"
---
"I don't remember the full name, but he called it a Biojumper, a BJ for short."
Jack let out a snort of laughter, prompting a sharp elbow from Shepard so she wouldn't interrupt Nef. "What is a jumper supposed to do exactly?" Shepard asked.
"Well, help him hunt down his white whale," Nef explained. "He was really big on finding a way to create biotics that didn't involve dosing fetuses with element zero. Nobody took him seriously, until he brought out the Jumper."
"You're saying that he can create biotics with a BeeJ-...er, with this device of his?" Jack asked, stopping herself from a rude joke while under Shepard's annoyed glare.
"If it worked, yes," Nef said. "Perfectly safe biotic enhancement. I didn't want to try it out, but Caelip said he got it functional."
Samara had a sudden realization and got to her feet in shock. "This device, is it possible that it could be used to-"
---
"-enhance pre-existing biotic ability?" Caelip repeated the question as he unpacked the equipment with his back to the curious asari. "I suppose it could, but that sort of energy tends to increase exponentially..."
"Well, perhaps you should test it first," Morinth suggested gently.
"I..." Caelip started to say, but trailed off as his better judgement melted under the sultry gaze the asari fixed him with. "Er...sure, I guess we could..."
Somewhat against his will, the salarian quickly dug through his closet before retrieving something from a hidden safe underneath the electronic flotsam. Morinth backed up defensively as he appeared to pull out a weapon resembling a M-100 Grenade Launcher with the magazine removed, a complicated bouquet of wires taking its place. Caelip then lifted a suitcase-sized console onto his desk that held what looked like a miniaturized engine core and started plugging in the wires all over the back. The weapon hummed to life as the final connection was made, and Morinth eagerly stepped forward again, her arms outstretched.
"I don't know," Caelip murmured, taking aim at her chest. "Even if this works, no normal body could physically contain the amount of energy this will generate..."
"That won't be a problem," Morinth smiled. "Now what are you waiting for?"
The salarain winced as he tried to resist, but it was only briefly. Without another sound, he lifted the device and fired. A shrill electric whine echoed out as an energy beam struck Morinth in the chest. Pain echoed from the point of impact all throughout her body and back again as the shrill whine rose in pitch, and she could feel energy welling up inside of her, like a million meldings all at once. The lights flickered, the room shook, and when she opened her eyes, all she could see was blue.
"BY....THE....GODDESS!"
---
"By the Goddess!"
Samara braced herself on a railing as the whole station shook, a dull *thoom* echoing from across the promenade.
"What the hell was that?" Shepard asked, pulling out her rifle and loading up for a fight.
"Maybe it's that thing the salarian was working on," Jack suggested. "Think she just blew herself up? Would make things easier."
"Yes, yes it would," Samara agreed, prompting odd looks from the other two who weren't expecting such a cold reaction. Nevertheless, the three went together down the corridor as civilians and petty criminals fled the other direction, until they came across a ruined wall with the door mangled and thrown aside.
"See? Blown to bits." Jack said. "Can we get off this rock now?"
Something shifted inside the smoke filled room, and a strange sounding moan prompted the three to raise their weapons. A blue glow parted the gray fog and an asari stepped out, dressed in a fully black and umber bodysuit, with an ethereal glow coming from her eyes. From the look Samara gave her, this could only be her daughter, the dreaded Ardat-Yakshi.
"So...much...power...." Morinth shuddered, her voice echoing and distorted. "Can't...contain..."
Shepard and her team raised their weapons and fired, not even needing an order. The dangerous asari stumbled back under the barrage, the slugs landing scattered around her feet. Looking down, she nonchalantly pulled a slug embedded in one of the straps on her outfit and tossed it over her shoulder.
"What have you done?" Samara demanded, her tone filled with dread.
"What I've been destined to do, mother," Asari held her arms out triumphantly. "Evolve."
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