Rescuing Liara is designed as our first mission. It’s easy and short. After that we have our choice of two other missions, each much more complicated. I choose Feros, a human colony barely surviving under Geth assault. (We’ll take Noveria, the third mission, last.)
The colonists all work for the corporation ExoGeni. After we clear out the Geth in the residential section, we head across the skybridge to the work environment. It all seems straightforward, except some of the colonists act weird. They’re secretive and a little cult-like. Also, why are the Geth here? Something over at ExoGeni has attracted their (meaning, Saren’s) interest.
It doesn’t take long to get the story. ExoGeni is here to study an indigenous life form, the Thorian. It’s an immense, brain-controlling plant. (Gross.) The colonists have been unknowingly infected, living right on top of it. ExoGeni considers them guinea pigs, basically. Evil corporation, human lab experiments, the usual villainous plotline.
Remember, I have two Shepards, the renegade Tag and the paragon Athena. Tag wipes out all the colonists and double-taps the Asari mystic aligned with the Thorian. Athena is a more forgiving sort.
Before passing judgment on the Asari Shiala, though, we receive her information, the ultimate purpose of this location. She is an associate of Matriarch Benezia, following her into Saren’s service. The Asari thought to soften Saren, but instead he persuaded them to go against their nature. He has an enormous alien warship, Sovereign, that exerts a subtle but all-consuming mind control. Benezia no longer acts independently.
Shiala merged with the Thorian so Saren could communicate with it. Apparently, the Thorian predates the Protheans, so knowledge of them is stored in its memory. In order to understand the vision of the Beacon, Saren (and Shepard) need to think like a Prothean. Shiala’s biotic/magical connection allows that memory to be transferred. She did it for Saren, and she does it for Shepard, imparting another dream sequence of orange apocalyptic destruction.
It’s mission-critical, so we can’t say no. “Embrace eternity!” Shiala calls out before she invades our physical and mental space. This game really has a problem with personal boundaries.