Aeian T'Goni (highlighted simply as "PTSD Soldier") is an asari huntress being treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at Huerta Memorial Hospital in 2186.
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“There won't be an Earth left to save...” — Spoilers for Mass Effect 3 follow. |
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Aeian is found in the entrance hall of Huerta Memorial Hospital, relating the story of her last assignment on the human colony Tiptree to an asari psychotherapist. At the start of the dialogue, it is revealed that Aeian refuses to take showers and requests permission to carry a firearm and a transfer to a facility without humans. She also repeatedly asks if her eyes are still their normal color. As her story progresses, Aeian's oddities are slowly explained by a massive survivor guilt complex she suffered as a result of her mission.
Aeian landed on Tiptree with a group of other asari commandos to assist the local human colonists evacuating from the Reaper invasion. Among the other commandos was Aeian's friend Neaira, an asari whose medical condition (presumably Ardat-Yakshi) prevented their relationship from going any farther. While taking respite at a human farm, Aeian took off her gear to take a shower. That's when the farm was attacked by Neaira, who had been turned into a banshee, and scores of husks. While Neaira slaughtered the farmers, an unarmed Aeian escaped to the hills with a human girl named Hilary, whom she befriended earlier. Aeian's commander decided the farm was overrun and never sent a shuttle back.
After two days with no food and only rudimentary weapons, Aeian realized that their only chance was to retrieve the radio station she left at the farm and signal for help. She and Hilary sneaked back in to find a number of farmers still alive. Unaware of the farmers' indoctrination, Hilary freed them, only for them to raise an alarm and start attacking. Aeian used her biotics to carve a path to escape again but Hilary broke her leg and was unable to stay quiet, let alone run. At risk of being discovered by Neaira, Aeian was forced to kill Hilary, surviving to escape with valuable data that earned her a medal.
Afterwards, Aeian blames herself for the deaths of the farmers, believing that if she hadn't lowered her guard, Neaira wouldn't have caught her unaware and unarmed. Neaira, she says, was controlled by the Reapers, while she was only driven by her own base needs. She also feels intense guilt about experiencing an adrenaline rush as she killed the indoctrinated humans. After telling her story, Aeian asks for a gun again.
Shepard can use their Spectre authority to override security measures and entitle Aeian to carry a firearm. Doing so, however, will result in her suicide, demoralizing the hospital staff.
In the Presidium Commons, a human nurse there can be overheard telling a colleague how hard it is for her to look after Aeian because the asari starts screaming every time they meet. The nurse looked up the relevant file and found out she resembles Hilary.
Trivia
- Aeian's name is revealed only in a message on the Spectre Terminal on Citadel Embassies.
- Aeian relates her story in small heaps, continuing only after Shepard speaks with another character or leaves and reenters the location via elevator. It is also possible to change conversation topics with Avina then return to Aeian to get more of her story. This requires going to Avina, choosing a topic, returning to Aeian (she will not say anything), returning back to Avina to pick a new conversation topic then returning back to Aeian. Upon the second return, Aeian should continue her story. Another method would be quicksaving and then quickloading, preferable far from the two asari, as some lines may be missed during loading, although subtitles will still display.
- Writer Patrick Weekes revealed in a Twitter conversation that the Hilary Aeian killed was in fact Joker's younger sister.