Jared Massani leans against the ground car door, rests the sole of one of his boots up against it, and watches as the aging krogan professor and the little krogan girl walk hand-in-hand up to an ancient farm house. The little girl looks tiny next to the large krogan man, but she is taking the lead, practically dragging her grandfather up the path, skipping to stay ahead of him. They make a comical pair, and Massani has to smile.
This is Jared's first trip off his home planet, Kiara. He was both honored and surprised when his doctoral advisor, Urdnot Zarvak Massarian, asked him if he'd like to see Tuchanka. The krogan home world was famous throughout the galaxy for the almost miraculous ecological reclamation and rejuvenation it underwent in the first few hundred years after the Reaper Wars. Most of that was due to the efforts of Urdnot Grunt, Zarvak's great grandfather.
Jared had jumped at the chance to see the planet with his own eyes. And to meet Urdnot Grunt, an almost legendary character in the field of post-nuclear ecological reclamation.
So here Jared is on Tuchanka, acting as a driver for his prof, seeing the sights, admiring the huge forests and great plains that cover the planet. Musing about how nature can heal anything, even a planet as broken as the krogan home world used to be. Jared is scheduled to meet Urdnot Grunt later, but Zarvak asked him to stay with the car at the moment, so Zarvak, Shakara, and Grunt can have a few moments of family time together. Jared was happy to oblige.
-:-
"Who is he, Granda?" the little krogan girl says with the casual impoliteness of the very young, as she points to an elderly krogan in a massive chair.
"This is your Greapa Grunt, honey. Say hello, Shakara."
Shakara looks up into the craggy face of the incredibly huge and incredibly old krogan man sitting in front of her and shyly bows her head a little. "Hello, Greapa."
"Hello, Shakara." The old man's voice is gravelly and low. Involuntarily, she moves closer so she can hear him better. When she sees his smile, she has to smile back.
He nods and says, "Heh, heh. I'm not so scary after all."
A little confused, she shakes her head no, and then, to prove she isn't afraid, she scrambles up on his lap.
Her grandfather steps forward as the old krogan winces, but stops when his great grandfather shoots him a warning glance.
"I hear you are going far away, Shakara," the old man says.
"Yes," she says excitedly. "We are going far away. To a new galaxy. Mother told me that is a very big group of stars."
"That's what it is. What will you do there?"
"We are going with our friends. Kaila Shepard is coming with us, and her family, and Veria Vakarian, and some of the other Urdnots and, oh, lots of other people. We are all going to a new home together."
"Greapa?" asks Zarvak.
"Yes, son?"
"Do you think Shakara could stay here with you for a little while? An hour or so? There are a few last minute things I need to attend to here on Tuchanka. Her mother could come by to pick her up. It would give you all a chance to say goodbye."
"Sure." Grunt looks down at his little great great granddaughter. "Would you like to stay so I can tell you a story, Shakara?"
"Yes, Greapa. I would like to stay and hear a story."
"How about one about my mother, Jane Shepard? People call her 'The Shepard' now."
"The Shepard?" Shakara is confused again. "But she was human, Greapa. How could she be your mother?"
"Heh. Smart girl. She adopted me, because I had no mother."
"She must have been nice." The girl stops and thinks a moment. "That was a very long time ago."
"It was a long time ago. She was nice."
Grunt struggles to move his partially paralyzed body into a more comfortable position for himself and the little girl. When they are both settled in, Shakara leans against Grunt and listens as he says, "She was born on a pioneer planet, like the one you are going to..."
Zarvak watches them a few moments longer, then turns and leaves, a soft look on his scarred face.
-:-
Jared stands back as Zarvak says his goodbyes to his great grandfather.
"Shakara was a pleasure to spend time with, Zarvak. Thank you for leaving her."
Zarvak smiles. "Is there anything else you need before I go?"
"No, no." Grunt gazes up with tired, peaceful eyes. "I think this is the last time we'll meet, grandson of my son. I'm very glad we got to see each other again."
"Don't say that, Greapa. I'll be back in a year or two."
"I can feel the cold wind, son. Soon I'll follow the rest." Grunt's eyes look distant a moment, then they warm up and shine as he looks up at the krogan before him. "I love you, Zarvak. May you live a long and happy life."
Jared is astonished to see Zarvak's hand tremble as he lays it on the ancient krogan's arm.
"I love you, Greapa. I will never forget you. Shakara will never forget you."
Grunt pats his great grandson's hand, and looks over at Jared. "I knew Zaeed Massani well. A deadly man. Funny, kind, thoughtful, and as foul-mouthed as they come. A very great man. I enjoyed meeting you, Jared. If I am still alive, I'd like to read your dissertation when it's complete. In any case, I hope your life is full of joy and success."
Jared stands erect and goes over to the old krogan. They shake hands, and Jared says, "Thank you, Urdnot Grunt. Having you review my dissertation would be one of the great honors of my life."
Grunt nods, then sighs, saying, "You'll be late, if you don't leave now."
As the other two watch, the old krogan suddenly seems to collapse into himself, finally succumbing to pain and fatigue. His voice is a little curt as he adds, "Have a good trip."
So the visitors take what he says as a dismissal, gather their things, and walk to the door.
His hand on the door handle, Zarvak turns his head to look at his great grandfather one last time. Seeing the old krogan's eyes closed, he hesitates, but then speaks as if he is compelled to, his throat tight as he says, "Goodbye, Greapa. I'll miss you."
Those words rouse Grunt from his half-slumber. He raises his head, his eyes kindle, and for a moment Jared can perceive the great heart that made the old krogan a hero almost two millenia ago.
"Goodbye, Zarvak. Be at peace. Love is stronger than death."
With that, Zarvak opens the door and Jared follows him outside. When they get to the car, Zarvak's hands are shaking so hard he can't open his door, so Jared opens it for him. Zarvak stares out the window all the way to the spaceport. He says little during the boarding process, and sits down in his seat with a sigh.
-:-
Finally, after the shuttle is in space, Jared says, "Urdnot Grunt is a great and good man, Professor. And so very old. How old is he, exactly?"
"If he lives to his next birthday, he'll be 1841 Kiaran years old."
"I wish now I had asked about Zaeed Massani. But I just didn't think of it. That all is ancient history to me, you know?"
The attendant comes around with drinks and snacks, interrupting their conversation. There is a flurry of activity all around them, then the cabin lights dim a little and things settle down.
Jared leans back, sips on his coffee, and continues, "I mean, no one forgets the Shepard. Even now, every school child on Kiara is taught about her and the Reaper Wars. And all us Massanis know we are descended from Zaeed Massani. But there's maybe 60 generations between me and him. I never think about the connection at all. Have never thought about it until now. The only connection I really have to him is my last name, which is a very common surname on Kiara. But when your grandfather mentioned him, well, somehow he came alive to me. I wish I had asked Urdnot Grunt to tell me something about him."
Zarvak smiles. "I'll take you with me next time I visit my grandfather, Garvak. He's only a little younger than his father. He knew Massani, too. Granda'll be happy to tell you stories about him."
Jared smiles back. "I'd like that. Nothing better than a good story."
-:-
"Granda, will I ever see you again?" Shakara already knows the answer, so she clings to her mother's father's legs, and looks up at him with sad, sad eyes.
"No, honey, you never will." Zarvak lifts her up and holds her close. "You will never return to Kiara. It isn't possible. But you will always be in my heart, and I will always be in yours. Love is stronger than death, Shakara. It outlives time. My love will be with you all your life. No matter how far away you are." He squeezes her tight, and then sets her down.
Her mother comes up and takes her hand. Shakara stands with her head down, grinding the toe of her left shoe against the shiny floor.
"I love you, Dad." The woman reaches out with her free arm and wraps it around her father's neck. She gives him a quick hug. As she releases him, she says, "Take good care of yourself, ok?"
"I will, I promise. I love you, daughter." He smiles at them both. "Live a long and happy life, both of you."
An indistinct voice says something over the public address system. Shakara pulls back against her mom's hand as her mother begins to leave. Shakara's mother picks her up, turns, and walks to the door that will take them to their new life. She doesn't look back.
But Shakara does. She looks back over her mother's shoulder, thick tears welling up in her eyes, as she waves goodbye to her granda. She keeps waving until the door shuts behind her, and he is gone.
-:-
An elderly krogan woman and her youngest clandaughter stand together on a frosty knoll, looking up at the brilliant night sky.
"Greama Shakara," the little human says. "Where did The Shepard live?"
"There, child," and the woman points up to a light in the sky. "There, in the Milky Way Galaxy."
"So far away," the girl sighs. "Was she really our kin?"
"She is your grandmother, more than a hundred generations ago." The krogan smiles down at her. "My grandfather's great grandfather was her adopted son. He told me about her when I was your age. He said she had beautiful green eyes, as you do."
"Did she live before forever? Momma told me you have been here since before forever."
Shakara laughs and laughs. Then she says, "Including the time I spent asleep coming to this planet, I am over sixteen hundred years old. That would seem like forever to a human. But it isn't more than a drop in the vast ocean of time, child. Not more than a drop. Yes, she was before my time. She lived about seventeen hundred years before I was born."
"Such a long, long time ago. More years than I can understand, really." The little girl shakes her head and looks up into the sky again. "As far away as the Milky Way. Will you tell me one more story about her? Please?"
It's the old woman's turn to sigh. It's cold, and her body aches with age, but she has a hard time telling this particular little one no.
"All right, but just one more."
"Thank you, Greama. Why don't you tell it to me while we walk home? I promise I'll go right to bed."
"I know you will. So. She was born on a pioneer planet, a planet like ours was when I first came here as a little girl, long ago..."