Author's notes: This is a short story – 3 chapters long – about a few moments between Garrus Vakarian and Adrien Victus, after the Fall of Earth and while they are stationed on Menae. In this story, the pairing is Garrus and Victus, with a previous romance between Garrus and Jane Shepard in Mass Effect 2; this story is rated M for the second chapter, which has detailed descriptions of GarrusxVictus slash and some violence.
A huge thank you to Sereneffect, my wonderful beta/editor, who really helped encourage me with this story! I've been working on this story for months, and she's been patiently helping me and letting me bounce ideas off of her. I love her to death!
Mass Effect and its characters belong to Bioware. Once again, this story is rated M for mature content, slash, and violence.
Victus. A well-known name on Palaven. Lifelong military, got results, popular with his troops… not so popular with military command; he had a reputation for playing fast and loose with accepted strategy – "outside the lines" and "too risky" were the two most common phrases used when describing the general. But, at a time like this, against a threat like this… conventional strategy wasn't going to cut it; the galaxy needed soldiers like him – soldiers who were unpredictable, who were creative, who weren't rigidly, unfalteringly set within the boundaries of the Hierarchy's rules and regulations.
When you said it like that, most people – most turians – would look at his résumé and think General Adrien Victus was just another bad turian.
What Garrus Vakarian saw, was a soldier he might – for a change – see eye-to-eye with.
Garrus dropped down from the open hatch of the shuttle, landing on the muddy ground of Palaven's largest moon; he reached back inside the door, grabbing his bag and heaving it over his shoulder before starting off across the uneven surface of Menae, making his way towards the moon's main military instillation.
After months of gathering intel and imploring High Command to start prepping Palaven, the Hierarchy had assigned him to Menae, instructing him to get in touch with General Victus; they were tasked with training new recruits in addition to lifelong military, as well as working to set up fortifications and other measures to prevent a potential takeover of the moon. High Command feared that – if the warnings Garrus and his father had brought forth to the Primarch were true – Menae would be one of the first turian controlled worlds to be overtaken by the Reapers; they feared their enemy would use to moon to their advantage – similar to the concerns that had coursed through the military during the Krogan Rebellions. And, despite Garrus repeating, adamantly, that the Reapers didn't need to use a moon as a weapon because they were already so vastly superior to any other species in the galaxy, old habits – old fears – die hard. High Command was convinced; if they lost Menae, they'd lose Palaven.
In all honestly, it was a miracle that the Hierarchy was taking any precautions at all, however small – a testament to his father's reputation within the military. Garrus had, albeit reluctantly, gone to his father after she had surrendered to the Alliance, detailing all of the unbelievable and gruesome events of the past three years to him – not including most of the details of his tenure on Omega; his father had listened and, when the facts had matched up, had taken his son's warnings to Fedorian. The Primarch had been skeptical, but ultimately agreed to grant Garrus a "task force" to help him prepare Palaven for the Reaper threat, along with a sudden promotion to general and the authorization to train recruits and soldiers at multiple instillations on Taetrus, Menae and Palaven. He'd worked for a few months on Palaven, directly with High Command, but they'd ordered him to get in touch with General Victus – the soldier who was leading the main operation on Menae; orders to train troops or not, he had a feeling it was just to get him out of their fringes.
Besides, taking all of these small precautions, like setting up additional bunkers and educating soldiers about the threat of indoctrination, wasn't exactly what Garrus thought the turian military should be focusing on; they should be planning evacuations, ensuring the chair of command remained intact, and working with other species to prepare on a larger scale. But, since they weren't actively engaged in conflict with the Reapers, all military command saw fit to do was prepare; prepare and hope they could find some way to defeat the Reapers, if they came.
When they came.
Initially, Garrus had been reluctant to come back to Palaven – back to the military – but with her in Alliance custody… He couldn't just sit still, doing nothing; not while the Reapers where knocking at their front door. How long they had – weeks, months, years – he wasn't sure; but he wouldn't sit by idly, while there were people to save, people to help. So, he'd gone back home, back to his father and sister, and back to the strict, unwavering guidelines of the turian military, hoping to help his people, do a little good, and make the galaxy a little safer while he still could. He'd told his story to anyone who would listen, before people either got tired of hearing about it or believed him; he'd been granted his position as "Reaper expert" and given his token task force – which felt like just that: token, empty. A way to shut him up. He'd never been respected enough to get people to listen to him, even back during his days in C-Sec. She was good at that; all he could do was yell and hope it was loud enough that his people took a few of his warnings to heart. At this point, he'd take what he could get. At least he was doing something.
Was this what Shepard had felt like all those years? To have power and authority that you weren't quite sure you have earned, power that just felt like a way to quiet you down; to know that something was out there, some evil that was too powerful to begin to truly understand, and to have no one believe you? People doubted him, they judged him as a misguided, hotheaded, "bad turian" who had spent too much times around the softer species and who refused to simply follow his expected path, staying within the lines of his own military. Some respected his experience – even with two years years missing from his service record – though most doubted the validity of his warnings. The Primarch, however, had promoted him, whether it was deserved or not; suddenly Garrus was thrust into a position of power where people listened to him, followed his orders, and fell in line – like a good turian should.
That was all fine with him. He wasn't concerned with rank, regulation, or his reputation; as long as he was allowed to work, do the job he'd promised he would do, and save a few lives, he'd be fine. He didn't care about the military. He cared about his people.
Garrus hoisted himself over a small ledge, his bag dragging slightly on the ground as he hauled his legs up and over the small protrusion of rock, coming abruptly upon the outermost barricades of the main encampment. He brushed his hands off and resituated his supplies over his shoulder, walking forward towards one of the younger guards who had left his post; the guard activated his Omni-tool to verify Garrus's identification and assignment as Garrus strode forward, his hand extended.
"Garrus Vakarian. Military command ordered me to Menae; I'm ordered to get in touch with Adrien Victus."
"Yes, sir," the young soldier said, nodding as he examined Garrus's credentials. "General Victus is in the command center, going over reports. It's the second bunker to the left," he finished, stepping to the side and pointing Garrus in the general direction.
Garrus nodded in thanks and started off towards the indicated shelter, pulling aside the heavy tarp that covered the entrance of the bunker as he walked up the ramp. He stepped into the dimly lit room, easily picking Victus out from all the new recruits; he was tall with a rigid posture that spoke of years in the service, a confidence in his stance that made the younger turians in the room instinctually straighten their spine.
"General Victus?"
The dark plated male closed out the report he was looking over, glancing up from the console.
"Ah, Vakarian. I wasn't sure when to expect you," he said, dipping his head down slightly in a nod as he clasped his hands behind his back in a stiff military stance, finally turning to face Garrus.
"Caught the first shuttle over. I'm assuming you're aware of our assignment, since you were expecting me."
"No pretense," Victus rumbled, his mandibles twitching in amusement. Garrus's stance faltered slightly as his own mandibles flared out, wondering if the general wasn't as relaxed about regs as he'd heard. Garrus pushed his shoulders back, trying for some sort of confidence as he opened his mouth to explain away his directness; Victus simply waved a hand, cutting off the younger general's response.
"That's good. We're both generals, both fighting for Palaven. I'm not concerned about getting bogged down by regulations, so long as you understand you are here to advise me, not order my men around."
"Ah… Yes, sir. Here to do my part for Palaven – not overstep boundaries," Garrus said, instinctually standing up even straighter, meeting and holding the older general's unwavering gaze for a moment. Victus observed him casually, before finally nodding.
"In answer to your question, yes, the Hierarchy sent me the orders as well. I do wonder, though, how you propose we fortify the base against attacking starships."
For what it was worth, Victus didn't sound condescending – he was simply asking a question he genuinely wanted to know the answer to.
Garrus sighed. "Well, in all honestly, there's not much that can be done to defend against the Reapers in that sense. Most we can do, is set up additional refuge for our soldiers and build heavier ground fortifications to defend against a ground assault."
"I see," Victus said, humming in thought, before stepping away from the console and striding towards the entrance to the bunker.
"I'll show you to the sleeping barracks – probably not as nice as what you had back on Palaven," he said, striding past Garrus and flaring his mandibles out in a small smile. Garrus turned and followed him, pacing himself so he was slightly behind the older male; he may be a bad turian, but some things were ingrained so heavily in their culture, the habit simply couldn't be shaken.
"I'm used to serving on a human vessel, General; after sleeping in the main battery, a turian cot will be a vacation," Garrus replied; no reason to mention that the last few weeks on the Normandy had been spent sleeping in his captain's quarters.
"That female human commander – Shepard – right? I've heard about her."
"Yes, I served with her for the past few years."
"I'm surprised she didn't make more of an effort to accommodate her non-human crew, if she expected them at their peak," Victus hummed, glancing at Garrus out of the corner of his eye as they trekked over the muddy ground, heading towards the back of the encampment.
"No, she did. I was offered to bunk with the crew or my choice of spare quarters. The battery was… well, peaceful in a way. And isolated. Not all of the human crew was as… accepting of other species as she was."
Victus rumbled. "Yes, I supposed there are still hard-feelings between our species. Though, we'll have to overcome old grudges if we plan on winning this war – war is won by alliance, not individual efforts."
"You would get along with her," Garrus said, a sad smile pulling at his mandibles; it was nice, seeing his home and his family, but Spirits did he miss her.
"I've never worked closely with humans before. Can't imagine serving under one…"
"It's different. She's the only one I'd ever willingly serve under. Humans are… a fickle species. She's just… different.
"You admire her," Victus said, slowing his steps down as they approached the end of the encampment and falling in beside Garrus, matching the younger general stride for stride.
Admire her, respect her, love her. Yes, I do, Garrus thought.
But, instead, he simply said, "Very much," as his mandibles twitched against the side of his mouth; he was barely able to conceal the rush of emotion that threatened to pour out of him as he thought about her. Victus just watched him, his brow plates quirking slightly at the reflexive movement of Garrus's mandibles.
Victus just nodded slowly in response. They walked a few more paces in silence before Victus motioned towards a bunker on the left. Garrus followed him inside and dropped his bad on a free cot that the older general stopped in front of, before turning back around to watch the Victus sit down in front of him on another bunk.
"So, Vakarian, what do you propose we do to prepare for the Reapers?" Victus asked, pulling out his Omni-tool and going over their assignment parameters.
Garrus sat down on his cot, resting his elbows on his knees and entwining his fingers together, meeting the older general's steady gaze as he glanced up towards Garrus.
"How much has High Command told you?"
"Some, but I'd rather hear it from you. Spirits know how diplomats… modify the truth."
Garrus laughed. "You and Shepard would definitely get along. She hates politicians," he said, humming in thought.
"Mark of a good soldier," Victus agreed.
Garrus nodded, mandibles flaring outward in a small smile. "Well, attempting to defend against an orbital strike is pointless. Their weapons are much more sophisticated than anything we have. If they wanted to destroy an entire planet… Well, let's just say it wouldn't be the most improbable thing I've seen," Garrus said, smoothing an armored hand over his fringe. "Like I said before, General, what we need to be focusing on is the ground troops. They would be the ones who… collect us."
"Collect us?"
"You remember the human colonies being abducted on the edge of the Terminus a few months back?"
"Yes, I remember the reports," Victus rumbled. The abducted colonists hadn't been of much concern to the Hierarchy – their government still tried to avoid any entanglements with the humans as much as they could – but it certainly hadn't gone unnoticed.
"The Collectors were Reaper troops – indoctrinated and mutated troops. They… harvest you – process you, creating new Reapers and ground troops."
"Process?"
"Like it sounds," Garrus said, nodding grimly. "We – ah… Commander Shepard nearly lost her crew to the troops during my last mission with her."
"I find it hard to believe a simple ground offensive would be that difficult to defend against – whether they are brainwashed or not," Victus said, rumbling out a questioning subtone.
"Unfortunately, General, they aren't your usual troops. They, ah… they're more cannon fodder than an actual military; but, the number the Reapers throw at you, that's going to be where the issue lies. There won't be much to the fight other than simply making sure our soldiers aren't captured alive. We should be focusing on evacuating Palaven, Taetrus, Men—"
Victus scoffed, his white mandibles flaring out in a sarcastic grin, and Garrus nodded, continuing.
"But… we both know military command won't abandon their planet. So we fight. We set up fortification – bunkers. We train our soldiers how to fight husks, how to not be overrun."
"And the Reapers get all their ground troops from humans?"
"The short answer is, yes. Other than the Collectors, the Reaper forces I've fought have all been humans, just… mutated and brainwashed. That's not to say they can't use other species, though. You remember the rogue Spectre a few years back?" Garrus asked.
"Arterius. Spirits, how could we forget? Shame to the turian people."
Garrus nodded. "He was indoctrinated. The council claimed he had lost his way; that he was… disillusioned. The Reapers were controlling him – he wasn't a husk, be he was definitely under their control. That's how they get their ground troops. They capture you, mutate your organs into cybernetics which allows them to control you. It's… gruesome."
"That… that's an impressive strategy."
"Agreed. It ensures they never run out of ground troops and eliminates any local resistance. For every soldier they add, we lose two; the one they converted and his buddy who can't pull the trigger on a friend."
"Admiration, Vakarian?"
"You have to admire your enemy for their proficiency. It's the same way I admire a virus or thresher maw – the Reapers have adapted perfectly to their situation and we don't have the weaponry to fight them off."
"I assume you have a plan, General?"
Vakarian had fallen into line easily; no matter what military command said, he wasn't that bad of a turian – the instincts were still there, just buried beneath layers of pride and not as often used as most turians'. Victus was actually surprised at how fluidly the two of them worked together; after only a few weeks of working through drills, they were already able to anticipate the other's moves.
"Scratch one!"
Victus sighed as Garrus ducked his head back down behind a boulder and turned his helmeted face towards the older general, no doubt grinning behind his blue faceplate. They may read each other well enough, but their combat styles… were anything but similar. How that human commander put up with his antics for so long, Victus wasn't sure.
"Vakarian, if you continuously insist on alerting the enemy to our position with your exclamations, I'll assign us to separate squads next drill," Victus said calmly, his mandibles flaring out slightly before they met the sides of his helmet.
"Sorry, sir. Just trying to liven things up, keep things interesting," Garrus said with an amused trill, popping out his empty thermal clip and reloading his rifle. They had been running through combat drills all morning, taking a break from hand-to-hand and switching to a typical firefight, trying to keep everyone sharp in general tactics; Victus was heading the attacking group, fighting alongside Garrus and two other recruits, while the rest of the recruits assigned to Victus's squad made up the "enemies" for the day. The second group was entrenched in some lower ground on the other side of the combat field, attempting to prevent the attacking group from gaining ground or flanking them. Victus and his group might be outmatched in terms of numbers, but not in terms of experience.
Victus popped his head around the corner, marking a few recruits' positions on the other side of the field, and then ducked backed down, leaning his back against the rock. He shot Garrus a look through his faceplate.
"If you focused on the actual combat, Vakarian, I'm sure you'd find something to occupy your attention."
"Still don't know why you won't accept a competition…" Garrus drawled out, leaning out of cover and taking a shot at one of the younger recruits – Cylia – on the other side of the field who had been standing up, in the open, for just a second too long. The concussive shot rammed into her chest and she fell backwards, scrambling back behind a rock as her shields failed, a warning blaring out over the group's comm system.
"There'd be no competition, Vakarian," Victus said as he glanced out of cover, searching for the source of the alarm; his eyes caught the flash of red as the recruit's boots disappeared behind the rocks.
"Cylia, stay in cover! It'd be more than your shields down if Vakarian was using anything other than concussive shots!" Victus shouted out over the comm. The young female replied with a weak, "Yes, sir!" as she tried to catch her breath.
Garrus hurled himself out of cover during the brief ceasefire and ran across the small gap between the rocks before slamming his cowl down against a low ledge, crouching down next to Victus.
"You say that, but, I think you're just scared to lose to someone so devilishly handsome; might tarnish your standing," he said, checking his clips and preparing an Overload on his Omni-tool.
"Vakarian, I assure you – my self-image is the last thing you should be concerned about. I'm more worried about your fragile ego," Victus scoffed, getting into position behind Garrus and providing cover fire while the younger general activated the Overload, taking out two other recruit's shields.
"Ha! Fragile!" Garrus laughed as he got back in cover. "I've told you about the time the Shadow Broker called me 'exceptionally tactical', right?" His mandibles flared out, though Victus couldn't see, as a grin broke out on his face.
"Yes, though you never finished explaining how you got on his radar."
Garrus laughed, shooting Victus a bemused look through his faceplate, his mandibles flexing with mock offense. "What – a failed Spectre candidate, who left his reputable job at C-Sec to follow a young, human Spectre around the galaxy and then dropped off the Hierarchy's record for two years isn't enough to warrant the Broker's attention?"
"If that was all it took to gain the Broker's attention… he'd be far too concerned with the humans and their hero-worshiping, rebellious adolescents to pay much attention to the rest of the galaxy."
Garrus laughed, focusing on the drill once again; Victus remained quiet, prompting Garrus to finally answer his question.
"Private channel?" Garrus asked, with a bit of an amused quality lacing his words. The younger general turned his head towards Victus, tilting it to the side in a silent question.
Victus hummed in surprise, looking at Garrus and wondering why the younger male wouldn't want this story out in the open – he had been… more than talkative about some of his… escapades with the human commander; but, he nodded anyway, holding up the universal signal for "one moment" before turning his attention back to the ongoing drill. He listened for a ceasefire and then leaned out of cover again, trying to mark whoever had been taking shots at the rocks he and Vakarian were sheltered behind. One of the youngest – but one of the most promising – recruits was crouched down on the far right flank, leaning against a rock while he reloaded his rifle. It would have been a good tactic for the drill, if the recruit had positioned himself differently – further back and not so open to the side – and stayed closer to the group so he had people watching his six. But, drills were learning opportunities. Victus took the chance while the recruit was reloading, signaling for Vakarian to cover his back, and rolled out of his position, coming to rest behind a boulder a few yards away. He pulled his rifle up and unloaded a few concussive shots, hitting the recruit in the side of the chest and head. The young soldier dropped his rifle and clutched at his shoulder, frantically searching for whoever had shot him.
"Tiryk, I just killed you. Your positioning is off," Victus said through his comm as he crouched back down, reloading his Phaeston.
"Sorry, sir!"
"Don't apologize, fix it. Stay with the group; we work as a team so we have someone watching out six."
"Yes, sir!" Tiryk yelled back, ducking behind the far side of the rock, out of the other group's line of sight.
"Good," Victus said as he peered back over his shoulder and watched Tiryk retrieve his gun and run across the small gap in cover, towards the rest of the defending group. "Radio silence, group – work on hand signals." Victus reached over to his Omni-tool, shutting down the main channel and switching over to the secure link that was synced up with Vakarian's comm.
"Vakarian?" he asked, pressing his hand against the comm unit in his helmet.
"I hear you, General."
"Good. So, enlighten me, Vakarian: how did you manage to impress the Broker?" Victus reached around his back and switched out his assault rifle for his sniper, and he ran over, sliding into cover next to Vakarian and resting his back against the rocks; he turned his head and met the younger sniper's faceplate expectantly. "Take down one of his men during your time at C-Sec?"
"Spirits, no. You know his men are… overlooked by C-Sec. They're 'valuable resources', not criminals. The red-tape and backroom politics was one of the reasons I left the Citadel."
"Not the main reason?"
"After the attack on the Citadel the council dismissed all of Shepard's warnings. They weren't doing anything. I needed to do something. And, I couldn't on the Citadel – with C-Sec, with the Spectres. I left," Garrus explained, prepping another overload on his Omni-tool as Victus took sporadic shots at the other side of the field, forcing the recruits to stay in cover.
"This was during those two blank years on your record? I'd wondered," Victus said, ejecting the spent thermal clip and slamming home another.
"Went to Omega for a time."
"What compelled you to go to that Spirits-forsaken rock?" Victus asked, glancing curiously at the younger male. Vakarian was ex-C-Sec, a good soldier, and moral – though, he was known for being reckless and rebellious; still, Victus couldn't see someone so just flying off to Omega the minute things went south.
"I was doing some, ah… housecleaning," Garrus said, looking around the corner and taking a shot of his own as his Overload powered up, targeting the ground at Desius's feet; the young soldier dove behind cover and regained his positioning, before popping his head out and opening fire, just about Garrus's head. Victus took the chance while the recruit was focused on the other general, and aimed a shot at his shoulder, hitting his mark and sending Desius sprawling backwards.
"Ever hear of the name Archangel?" Garrus continued casually, breaking cover again to activate the Overload. The cluster of recruits on the other side of the field scrambled further back into cover as two of their shields failed; Victus jumped up again, shooting at another young female who was desperately trying to return fire as she dove into shelter.
"The turian vigilante? Yes, I've heard of him. Epitome of a bad turian, there, but… he got the job done. Shame he had to die for the cause," Victus said, slamming his cowl against the low rocks as he ducked back down. Reports had said a rocket at close range; no one could survive that.
Garrus laughed slightly, not even attempting to hide his amused and prideful subtones as he peered around the edge of the wall. "Really think he died?" Garrus asked, not even waiting for an answer. "He was outnumbered, maybe… But even Aria couldn't pinpoint his location at times. I highly doubt simple mercenaries could have cornered him and killed him. Possibly recruited for a higher cause?" Garrus asked, subtones rimming with suggestion. "Now that I could believe."
Victus turned his head sharply, staring at the back of Garrus's helmet. Surely, Vakarian didn't mean… The younger male's marred mandible drifted through his mind – scarring all down his neck, almost like he had been burned and shot in the same place. Spirits… He had read that Vakarian wasn't a "by-the-book" kind of turian, that he had a habit of disobeying direct orders he didn't agree with, but this… something like this he hadn't expected from such an honest, young male. The Hierarchy had it pinned that the Archangel was an ex-military mercenary, trying to settle old grudges – personal grudges – against Terminus gangs. Not an ex-C-Sec officer who had left the system because he thought it had failed him…
"I knew you weren't the Hierarchy's most… esteemed soldier, but… Spirits, I never expected something like that out of a Vakarian," Victus said, regaining his composure and glancing the other way, checking their targets. He gestured to a young female on their team, Livia, and signaled her to move into his position as he prepared for push forward. She nodded and jumped out of cover, running and ducking down behind the wall in between the two generals.
"Believe me, General – if my father found out…" he scoffed, shaking his head and turning back in time to see Livia run into cover, crouching down beside him. He nodded towards her before returning his attention back to the fight at hand. "He hates Spectres. Spirits know what he'd say about his son becoming a vigilante."
"Why Omega? Why not stay on the Citadel?" Victus asked before moving right, rolling behind the boulder he was sheltered behind before; there was a large outcropping of rock a few yards in front of him, back towards the center of the combat field that would allow Victus to start making headway on the defending group. If Vakarian moved into the position Victus was currently in, Livia and Tiberius could advance on the left flank, while Victus moved down the center, Garrus providing cover fire from the right side. "I'm sure there were plenty of lowlifes in the Wards to occupy your time."
"Everything on the Citadel is wrapped up in rules and regulations, policies and procedures. Omega… there's no law, no one to stop me from cleaning them out – my way," Garrus said, providing cover fire from his position as Livia leveled her pistol up as well. Garrus quickly glanced at the boulder Victus was sheltered behind and watched as the older general signaled to Tiberius, indicating they should start advancing their positioning; the younger male nodded his head and moved forward a bit, ducking between rocks until he was level with Victus.
"I spent too many years in C-Sec with criminals going free because officials didn't want to tarnish their records; there were so many cases, so many people I could have taken down if Pallin would have just let me do my job…" Garrus trailed off and Victus found himself suddenly remembering how young this male was.
Garrus heard Victus hum over the comm as he continued. "I just wanted to be useful – save a few lives, do a little good before the galaxy went to hell. Shepard always said, to do what I thought was right, no matter what. I thought I could make a difference on Omega – actually do some good."
Victus nodded even though the younger general couldn't see. "Well, Vakarian; if the reports High Command received were accurate… you did quite the job."
"Those two years were some of my proudest. And… towards the end, some of the worst," Garrus sighed.
"Didn't go as planned?"
"Not exactly…" Garrus trailed off, taking a shot at one of the most adventurous recruits and nailing him in the ribs. "My squad became like my family. But… I got too attached. Too trusting. It… it didn't end how I would have liked, but I like to think I did a little good. Saved a few lives."
Victus rumbled, taking a chance and bolting towards the center of the field, diving down behind the large outcropping of rock; a shot whizzed past his feet as he moved to crouch behind a taller section, peeking out quickly and trying to get an idea of where his targets were.
"I can appreciate that. When you work in such close quarters with the same men and women… It can be hard to separate duty and attachment. Though, in my experience… it's the people you care for that you fight the hardest for," Victus said candidly. "The right path isn't always the easiest." He took a moment to catch his breath and loaded a fresh clip into his Krysae rifle – he was still in the process of testing out the new model before it went into circulation throughout the turian military; Vakarian had suggested the development of a sniper rifle that also had short-range capabilities, in case the sniper got trapped in a close range situation. This sort of combat drill was the ideal test for the rifle.
"Or what galactic politics say you should do," Garrus mumbled.
Victus hummed in agreement. "You remember the Facinus attack last year?"
"Yes, I remember it," Garrus said, nodding his head solemnly. His sister had friends on Taetrus during the attack; they never made it out of the capital city. He turned to look at the older general, who was currently looking out from behind the edge of one of the rocks, taking tabs on everyone's position. Victus turned back around and met Garrus's gaze through his faceplate, signaling that Garrus move left; the younger general nodded and moved past Livia, towards the left flank.
"I heard it was… bad."
"Bad is an understatement," Victus rumbled, checking his six once again before focusing on the recruits in front of him. "After the Fall of Vallum, military command organized infiltration squads that were to go in and eliminate the separatists – at any cost. I was heading one of those squads and" – Victus peered around the boulder and took a shot at Tiryk, who had been slowly making his way out from the area of lower ground; he ducked behind an outcropping in the landscape, Victus's shot barely missing him – "one of my scouts discovered a salarian spy ring – maybe ex-STG or a Blue Suns outfit."
"On Taetrus?" Garrus asked, jumping up and running left; something rammed into his shoulder and his shields started beeping, powering dropping nearly all the way. Garrus cursed, finally ducking behind the large boulder on the edge of the training field; he crouched down behind the rock, waiting for his shields to completely recharge.
"Everything alright, Vakarian? Not too distracted?" Victus taunted, grinning smugly under his helmet. If something could be said about the two of them, they understood each other – friendly jabs, taunts, and all. Victus heard Garrus mutter some smart-mouthed curses under his breath, before popping out of cover and taking a shot at the rock on the other side of the field just for good measure – his shields weren't back.
Victus laughed.
"But, yes; on Taetrus. Surprised us too. I assumed they were trying to gather intel on the Hierarchy or the military – they weren't working with the turian rebels. High Command ordered my squad to take out both groups, immediately – we were the most entrenched and had the best positioning; it would have taken another squad days to gain any ground, and the military didn't want to wait. I disobeyed."
"A direct order?" Garrus hummed quietly, an appreciative note sounding out through his subharmonics. Disobeying a direct order – from High Command no less – wasn't going to get a turian any points with the Hierarchy.
"There was too much risk going in hotfooted, too many of my men might have been lost. I believed it would have damaged our military's positioning as well, drawing out the conflict. High Command… they just wanted the opposition wiped out; follow orders, finish the job – that was their concern," Victus explained, signaling for Tiberius to get Livia to move forward; he nodded and signed to Livia, who waited a few heartbeats before crouching down and running out of cover, slamming to a halt beside Tiberius. Victus gestured for the two of them to move forward, along the right flank; they nodded.
"I pulled my men back – fell back and waited it out. The rebels and salarians got in a firefight when a salarian scout was discovered. I let them wear each other down. The turians rebels eventually took our forward position, cutting us off from some resources. We had stims, ammo, and rations for a day or two, so we sat back and waited. Watched carefully…" he glanced over to Garrus and watched as the sniper loaded a fresh clip into his rifle, taking up his position, before he began prepping one last Overload.
"Two nights later, we took the chance – salarians were down to a handful of men, and the turians weren't faring much better," Victus said, his mandibles flaring out behind his helmet in a show of pride. Garrus rumbled through the comm and Victus glanced over to the younger general.
"Let me guess? Didn't lose a man?" Garrus asked, amusement rumbling through his subtones.
Victus laughed, glancing to make sure that everyone was in position on his squad; Tiberius nodded at him, as did Garrus, and Victus turned his attention back to the recruits entrenched in front of him. Garrus activated his Overload at the same time Livia activated her Combat Drone; the recruits on the other side of the field all ducked down, a few of their shields flickering and shorting out while a couple of recruits focused their attention on the drone. Victus charged forward, running the dozen-or-so yards and slamming his back into a protrusion of rock right in front of the defending group's entrenched position.
Garrus heard a huff as Victus hid behind the rock, before another throaty, rumbling laugh came from the older general. "A few scratches on my forward-most men, one bullet through one of my scout's arms…" he replied evenly.
No wonder Adrien Victus's name was making its way through the turian military – disobeying a direct order from High Command, returning with all of his men, and successfully completing the mission… Impressive, though Garrus was slightly surprised Victus still held his rank as general – Hierarchy wasn't quick to forgive insubordination.
"Everyone made it out. Hierarchy reprimanded me – got a mark on my record for disobeying an order. But recruits started requesting assignment to my squad," Victus rumbled. There was a smugness in the way Victus said that last part and Garrus couldn't help but grin; apparently prideful insubordination was a quality they both shared.
"Good plan. But… risky. And slow," Garrus nodded, reloading his rifle; the recruits on the other side of the field had finally dealt with Livia's Combat drone and had turned back to focus their attention on the suddenly much closer general.
"I wasn't about to take a chance with my men's lives – young lives are much more important than the potential backlash I'd get from insubordination. It did require some patience, though – a quality I'm not known for," Victus admitted, popping out of cover and aiming a concussive shot into the cluster of recruits, nailing someone in the shoulder and taking out his shields.
"Something you and I have in common, General," Garrus chuckled. Spirits, how many times had a commanding officer told him he needed to learn some patience?
"Yes, and why the Hierarchy is… guarded about soldiers like us," the older general said. He leaned back against the wall and signaled towards Tiberius and Livia; the two recruits nodded and slowly began making their way forward, along the far left side of the field, shielded from potential fire by high rocks scattered along the left flank. Garrus trained his sights on the edge of the lower ground, preparing to cover the two younger soldiers from potential fire and making sure that no one from the opposing team trekked too far towards that side.
"I am surprised you didn't get anything more than a reprimand for disobeying a direct order," Garrus said, taking a quick shot just above Cylia's head and forcing her to duck back down into cover. "At C-Sec, ah… well, let's just say my insubordination wasn't as overlooked."
"Demoted?" Victus asked casually. He wouldn't be surprised, necessarily – though, he hadn't noticed anything about a demotion in Vakarian's record.
"No, just never advanced. Even with my father's rapport with Pallin."
Victus hummed. "Military command wanted to levy a harsher penalty on me – though, that wouldn't have bothered me much; the further down the line, the farther away I am from their politics," he said, turning his attention back to his Krysae and reloading.
"I still think you should meet Shepard – you sound just like her," Garrus laughed, thinking about all the times she'd stormed into the battery, ranting and raving about the Council, Cerberus, or even the Alliance and their perverted idea of what was politically and morally correct. "So, no plans to work your way up the meritocracy, General?"
"Spirits, I cringe to think of the day I'm put in a political position. I know war, not bureaucracy. Advising the Hierarchy is… not something I envy of you," Victus said, a shudder running up his spine. His entire family was military – his father, grandfather, and the fathers before that; he may not be the Hierarchy's most honored soldier, but he understood his duty to the turian people, and the only way he knew to fulfill that duty was to fight for his people. Getting involved in politics was not part of that equation. He shook himself from his thoughts and turned towards the left flank, making eye contact with Tiberius and Livia and signaling them for the final push; Livia turned to her Omni-tool once again as she and Tiberius moved forward until they were on level position with Victus. Victus looked over towards Vakarian and watched as the sniper ducked behind rocks, coming up on the far right side; the younger general looked over towards Victus as he was switching out his Widow for his Phaeston, and nodded his head at Victus.
"Not a position I'd ever thought I'd be in. But, at least I'm doing something – even if no one believes in what I'm trying to do," Garrus rumbled, adjusting the scope on his Phaeston after he finally dropped into position.
Victus hummed a little in response, suppressing a small smile at the younger general's words; frustration at the idiocy of those in positions of power seemed to be another similarity between the two of them. "That's all you can do, Vakarian. Fight for what you believe in."
"And hope it actually works," Garrus said.
Victus trilled amusedly and watched as Garrus brought his assault rifle up to his eye, taking aim at the group of recruits. He was such a young soldier, so full of compassion and the desire to just do some good. It wasn't naivety to the horrors and the injustices of the galaxy – Spirits knew Vakarian had seen enough during his time with Commander Shepard – and, apparently – during his time on Omega to crush any naivety. He just held a fierce belief that there was still some good in the galaxy and that it was worth fighting for – not a quality that was strictly encouraged in the turian military; you weren't fighting for what you thought was right, good, and just so much as you were fighting because it was your obligation to your people. When military command had informed him that an "advisor" was assigned to his squadron on Menae, Victus had expected a good, respected, upstanding turian since the Hierarchy had assigned him personally. He certainly hadn't expected someone like Vakarian – someone he found himself getting along with and someone he felt he could call a friend, even after their few short weeks together. Victus just hoped, turning back towards the current combat drill and signaling for everyone to make the final push forward, that he and Vakarian would be able to do something to help Palaven when the time came.
Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it! I'm so sorry to all of my readers that I've been M.I.A. for so long; life just got really hectic with my new job and with me taking classes again this fall. I'm going to try to update one of my stories at least once a month, but I can't promise anything. But, I want to send an enormous thank you to all of my readers that are still reading my stories and those of you that are sending me words of encouragement. I'm thrilled I finally got back into writing and seeing so many people enjoying my stories is amazing! So thank you! And thank you again Sereneffect! I literally could not do this without you.