The trials of the last Progeny
"Who are you young one? Where are your parents?"
A young battle hungry Krogan looks down at a young human child with curiosity. The woman had left her clan on Tuchanka to escape the misery of her existence there. She also took her older sister with her. They were young and from a famous blood line. She was most desired by the men in their clan and yet after her second still born she could take no more. The Krogan may not live as long as the Asari, but they still lived a very long time. Centuries of still borns was something she could stomach for herself, or her sister. The Genophage scarred her soul more than any bullet ever would. So she took up the life of a mercenary for hire, and made quite a pretty pile of credits for herself as well. Her sister was as good with a rifle as she was, but preferred to use her hands in battle whenever possible. She'd be gaining on her position very soon.
The Krogan had been providing front line fire for a band of blood pack thugs chasing after a mark that ran away from his debts to a forsaken desert planet at the edges of the terminus system.
When she came across a human child... "Girl, what is your name and where are your parents?"
"Will you harm me?" The Krogan looked down at the girl with an incline of her massive head and furrowed her gaze at the child. The girl was short, had a bob of black hair and brilliant green eyes. Pale skin for a human, like she'd never been on the surface before, which was reaffirmed with the way the girl squinted around in the light. The warrioress had found the girl hiding behind some supply crates, hugging her knees and shaking with fear.
But no crying.
Those big green eyes seemed to take everything in, like she was an AI analysing the situation before acting. Now those eyes were on her.
"I will not harm a youngling. I am Yurak Kilona."
"You are Krogan."
"Yes." Kilona looked around them with big amber eyes. "You may call me Kilona."
"Because Yurak is your clan name." The Krogan looked back at the child then. "And you are from Tuchanka."
"You have been well informed of Krogan ways." Kilona looked the child over again. She older than she first looked. Curled up in a ball she looked like she was not long from her mother's teat. No she straightened her back and looked up at her, it seems she was around 14? Maybe older? "You must come with me now child. We are mercenaries after a human called-"
"The human ran past me approximately 13 minutes ago." She lifted her little hand up and pointed into a mobile platform to her right. "He locked himself inside. He is probably still there."
"Well, then I'll get to have the kill shot after all!" Kilona chuckled, her black armour rattling with the movement of her shoulders. She then winked at the girl. "Be good, stay down there behind the crates, and I'll be right back."
"I will stay here as instructed." Setting her visor to black again Kilona stalked over to the door of the building and grunted when she found it was locked. The heavy security door was locked. "Damn Pyjak. Locked himself in a cage to thick to blast through. Got to be a way of getting in..."
Kilona was contemplating if she could find a window to blast when she saw a pink little hand waving at her from behind the crates. Curiosity getting the better of the huntress she carefully returned to the human behind the crates. "You ok kid?"
"I am not called kid." The girl stuttered, then pointed to the door. "I have don't as instructed and remained here. However, I could provide assistance in hacking the security override for the coms room you are trying to breech." Kilona's amber eyes blinked down at the kid and just about got the gist of that.
"You can get me inside?" the girl nodded. "alright...but you need to stay behind me and hide when I tell you to."
"Yes Kilona." The Krogan had to move pretty damn quick as the girl prang to her feet and hurtled towards the door. There weren't any outside defences around the platform, but that bastard Kracus had marcs firing at their asses all the way to this planet, so she could bet he had a few by his side in there. didn't want the kid getting shot. To her surprise the girl had an Omni-tool. She was hacking system after system and appeared to be putting little effort into it too.
"Quite the tech whizz aint you kid? Did you father teach you that?"
"I am not called kid. I have no father."
"Oh...then your-"
"I have no mother either." The girl's hands were trembling, but her voice was calm and her gaze focused on the glowing grid over the door. "Are you prepared to enter?"
"erm...Yeah?"
"Then I'll open the door now."
Ancestors be damned. She bloody well did.
Kilona had seconds to grab the girl's shoulder and rag her behind her vast form and launch a grenade into the room. Two mechs down. "There are 6 more synthetics inside, and one organic."
"How the hell-never mind. Stay here!"
"I will remain-"
Kilona released a war cry and charged into the room.
She counted each mech she put down with her assault rifle. Thermal clips pinged off in quick succession as she practised her races' art of overkill. She was almost stunned into paralysis when she counted 6 smoking mechs...then she saw the whimpering form of Kracus and grinned.
"Kracus. This is what you get for cheating Aria!"
Grenade to the face. That'll do the trick. She then pulled his id badge from his form, his wallet, and a necklace that looked pretty personal. That should be proof enough.
As she chuckled to herself and headed for the door she locked eyes with wide green ones. "Oh shit. Listen kid, you weren't meant to see-"
"I am not called kid." Kilona sighed and ushered the girl away from the door and the bloody room.
"Alright. Go one then."
"I am confused." The girl cocked her head to one side and furrowed her brows up at the Krogan. "What action are you asking me to perform?"
"You're name? You've been snapping that your name isn't kid, so you must want me to know it?" she rolled her eyes and sighed. The hassle the kid saved her was worth knowing her name after all. It would have taken her hours to get through that door by brute strength.
"You misunderstood Kilona. I do not have a designation. I simply did not wish to be referred to as a young goat."
Gears were starting to click in her head now, and it made her chest ache.
"You...don't have any parents? Not even a name? How the hell have you survived on this planet for so long if you can't even remember your damn name?! In fact! How long have you been here?!" the girl staggered backwards and regarded her cautiously.
"Have I angered you Kilona? It was not my intention."
"No, I'm just pissed off. but not at you. come on, answer me?"
"I have never had parents. Nor a 'name'. I have lived here all my life and live off the protein and nutrient packs in these crates." She pointed to the very crates she was found hiding behind. The lid was off, and there was hardly any pouches left... "Does my answer suffice Kilona?"
"You." She ground, pointing at the girl's face, and then pressed her thumb to her own chest. "Are coming with me."
The girl blinked rapidly and then turned to look down and to one side.
"Kilona wishes to take me with her."
"You're damn right I do." The Krogan grumbled. Her sister was going to kick her ass for this, she was sure of it. She would have to anticipate lots of 'it's only because you can't have kids of your own', and, 'are you so weak you see a needy child and adopt it?', maybe even, 'you could have at least nabbed a Turian. Humans are so squishy and weak'. But she had come in useful. She was a natural with tech. Something neither of the Yurak sisters were.
"This is alright? It is my choice?" Kilona raised a brow and turned to look at the girl again. She could have sworn the kid was talking to someone else...but that was impossible. They were the only two people there. She must be a little screwy growing up in solitude...yeah, that's it.
"Well, I'm not going to drag you kicking or screaming but-"
"You will not harm me?" the girl looked up at her once more, giving Kilona her full attention. "You will...'raise' me?"
"...sure." The Krogan had to admit she would never have children of her own. This might be her only way...and the kid could use her tech! If I don't take her with me she will die as soon as her rations run out.
"Alright." The girl nodded with determination. "Then I shall be your child and you shall be my mother. I shall call you mother, and you will name me accordingly."
"Wow, let's not jump ahead of ourselves here k-" the girl's green eyes narrowed on her. "Oh, well, fine! But you're having a Krogan name!" she huffed, pretending to be put out and frustrated with this development...
...but inside there was a maternal part of her that started to wake up and feel again. She started leading them back towards her shuttle. "And you'll have Krogan values. And honour. And you'll always do as I tell you."
"Yes mother." Kilona stopped in her tracks and looked down at the girl.
Wow. That felt good and sad at the same time.
"Right...this way."
"Put it back!" Kilona snarled and pushed her sister's chest hard.
"Over my flaming carcass Kirna! She is mine now. the little one is good with tech and hacked the hell off a premium security door, and has no one else, and-"
"I did not leave Tuchanka for a life of freedom, to be burdened by your need for a pet to mother! Keep your brooding to yourself and throw the human back down to-"
"Just encase I haven't made myself damn clear." Kilona stalked towards her sister and backed her up against the shuttle wall. It wasn't a difficult feat, as two Krogen filled a shuttle easily with their girth. Her black armour clinked with her older sister's silver set, and amber eyes looked into brown ones. The sisters were always so different. Kirna was older, cold, and the leader. She would have kept popping out dead children on command in the name of the Krogan had she not been dragged away by her younger sister. Kilona was much more...well...softer on the inside. She was also more passionate and damn well explosive if you pissed her off.
She was also bigger and stronger than Kirna. This usually caused the older sister to back down and grumble off to one side. "She is mine. Touch her and I'll break your fingers. Understood?"
"Just keep it out of my way." There, she backed down, as usual, and returned to sitting and staring out o the window. "At least we got the credits for the hit and not those blood pack bast-"
"Kirna!" Kilona put her hands over the human girl's ears and ushered the girl to sit beside her, on the other side of the shuttle to the other Krogan. "Language!"
"Oh hell, you're really going to make me watch my f-"
"Yes." Kilona ground out and took her helmet off. Immediately she felt the inquisitive gaze of the human girl she had taken under her 'wing' and looked down at her. Female Krogan didn't show their faces in public 'normally', but they were mercs for hire. And if this girl was to be her child she should at least know what her mother looks like. Her skin was thick and sandy in colour, with deep brown plating smoothing over her head, down her back and carapace. Her amber eyes were wide and full of tenderness, focus and a promise. "I am her mother now. You will act accordingly to having a youngling around." She then smiled down at the girl. "Now, how about a name then? A strong Krogan name."
"You are not giving her a Krogan name." Kilona's amber eyes seemed to become molten gold as they bore into her sister.
"You have no say over what I do and do not do to my child. If I am to be her mother, I will do this properly. So speak against my child or my will towards her again, and I'll bruise you until you're sorry or quiet. Don't interrupt me again." She waited until her sister returned her gaze to the window before smiling down at her daughter again. "Now, you look like a clever girl. I shall give you a clever name."
"I do possess a vast intellect for a human of my age." Kilona just laughed at her and placed a hand on her head, ruffling her black bob.
"I shall call you Adra. One of our ancestors was famous for her tactical prowess and conniving plots in conning enemies out of land and bounty. You are smart and good with tech. This will be your name. Do you agree?"
"Yes mother."
"Good!"
"Adra! Get us out of here!" Kilona barked into her ear piece, dug in with her sister behind an overturned table and keeping enemy mercs off their ass. All the while they looked behind them to see if the shuttle had turned up yet.
"Yes mother!" crackled over the com link and the relieving sound of engines rasped through the air like music to her ears. "I will land in approximately 1 minute and 11 seconds. Please time your and Auntie Kirna's jump together this time. The shuttle was damaged last time when you jumped one after the other."
"Is that brat calling us fat?!" Kirna snarled, throwing a grenade over the table and bracing herself for the thud of the blast. It came, they swore and looked for the shuttle landing.
"I was not calling you fat Auntie Kirna. You are within the optimum mass parameters for a female Krogan, as is mother. However, the shuttle is not built to withstand that kind of-"
"JUST GET US OUT OF HERE ALREADY!"
"Yes mother. I am here."
"Grenade!" Kilona threw a nasty Batarian grenade over her shoulder and grabbed her sister's arm. "Now, run!"
It was close, but they managed to just about jump into the shuttle at the same time, and then rolled backwards as it took off with a jerk forward. Kirna was on top of Kilona for a few minutes as they tore through back allies and twisted around obstacles. When they finally smoothed out into occupied space and were 'safe', the Krogan pushed themselves to freedom and hammered on the cockpit door.
"Hay! Cutting it close this time Adra!"
"Apologies mother. I had to avoid a line of turrets to evacuate you from the battlefield. Do you procure the data?"
"I did." Kilona pulled the door open and shuffled into the cockpit with her daughter. She sat in the co-pilot seat and grinned at the human. "That hack software you uploaded into our Omni-tools worked a treat. Those Pyjaks had no chance to cover their asses with the speed we were in and out."
"I am glad the upgrade worked efficiently for the mission mother."
"Yeah, and that new thermal clip upgrade means we don't waste as many slugs. Good catch kid."
"Auntie Kirna. You know I am not a young goat. You are aware of my name and have been for several years now."
"Damn." Kirna chuckled and put her hands on the pilot chair and looked down at the human. "Have I really been stuck with you for that long?"
"9 years, 11 months, 2 weeks and 13 hours, 45 minutes. I am soon to be 24 years of age and you should have no reason to confuse me with a young goat by this stage in our history." There was a slight curve to the woman's lips, something it had taken her a while to develop, and always brought a warm fuzzy feeling to her care givers.
"Damn. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun huh?" Kirna ruffled the woman's long black hair and chuckled. "Who'd have thought I'd actually like you?"
"It took you long enough." Adra joked, making both Krogan bark with laughter. they always enjoyed it when she joined in their humour. "2 years and 4 days to be exact."
"Yeah I remember." Kirna chuckled and removed her helmet. Her skin was thick and sandy like her younger sister, but her eyes were dark brown and her plating crimson. It was still smooth, like all female Krogan plates were, but there were soft ridges in chevrons up her crest. "You had a nightmare and your Ma was out cold from that fall she had-"
"-out of an elevator." Kilona chipped in.
"-and you just kept crying. So I came in to tell you to-"
"Shut the hell up. Yes Auntie, I remember." Adra landed the shuttle in the Omega transit bay and put her security protocols in place. "You then proceeded to try and bribe me with food."
"Well it wasn't my finest-"
"Then toys." Adra walked between her guardians as they got off the shuttle. "Then guns." Kilona growled at that. "Then credits."
"You were crying so damn loud I couldn't even think!" they walked towards their apartment, helmets long since replaced so the mystery of a female Krogan could be upheld.
"Oh, and of course you then tried threatening me with acts of violence."
"The good old fashioned Krogan back up plan." Kirna added, so glad her sister had only whacked her silly for a few minutes after the first time she heard this story. Damn, she'd never seen Kilona so pissed in her life...
"And then you held me." Adra placed her tiny human hand on her Auntie's shoulder and released a breathtaking smile. "That was the moment your aggression towards me ceased and we built a relationship worthy of an aunt and her niece. It also lead to you showing me how to tackle a man to the ground using only my hand and his privates."
"Of course. Like all Aunties do."
They laughed as they went about making dinner. Merc work was an exhausting job to have, and left all three of them starving afterwards. Varren burgers with lots of hot sauce, followed with a round of chocolate ice-cream always went down well. The sisters sat on the large sofa opposite their large TV (a digital display terminal the size of the whole wall) and Adra laid across their laps, her head resting on her mother's legs so she could play with her long raven hair.
This was their life. It wasn't Tuchanka. It didn't cry of Krogan glory, or any Krogan for that matter, but it was a good life. They were fulfilled at work, get credits and had a family to love and care for. they were happy.
Then the plague came.
Adra's whole world was falling through her trembling fingers as she ran from her mother and to her aunty. They were struggling to breathe and their fevers were through the roof. What didn't help was the fact that the local merc factions were locking them all up and blaming humans for the plague. They were the only ones not affected by it after all.
"I need a doctor." Adra found herself cornered in the corridor to her apartment by two batarians. They were aiming massive shotguns at her face and chest and sneering at her. "My Krogan parents are very ill. They have the plague. Please allow me to requisite a doctor for-"
"You hear that!" the larger one barked, all his eyes glaring at her. Adra had her hands up, but that didn't stop them from aiming at her. "The human filth has Krogan parents! You could at least come up with a better lie than that human."
"I am not lying. I need to find a doctor to treat them. They have the plague. Please allow me to pass you and find one." The mercs looked at each other with agitated confusion across their brows. The girl wasn't expressing any emotion. She stood perfectly still, except for a slight tremor of her hands, and her voice was clam and steady. She also looked right into their eyes and didn't hesitate. Not the usual reaction they got from someone at gun point...and then she talked funny...
"The bitch isn't right in the head. She sounds like a VI."
"I assure you I am organic. Now please allow me to pass you. my Krogan parents have the plague. I need to find them a doctor."
"Yeah, find this sweetheart."
Thunder erupted in the back of her head as an array of buckshots tore through the air and into her abdomen. Slowly Adra looked down and brought her trembling fingers to her weeping gut. It's tears were red, and they stained her fingers as she inspected them.
"So...this is pain...?" she then returned to looking up at the stunned batarians and cocked her head to one side. "What would you have done with my corpse had I died? Would you have returned it to my parents? Or left it to rot in the streets? Are you incapable of compassion towards me whilst I live? Or in death as well?"
"Shit, why isn't the bitch kissing the floor?"
"Correction." Adra took a step forward, a trickle of blood falling down the corner of her mouth and neck. "I am not a female canine. I am not called bitch. I am called Adra. I need to pass you now. please move aside, or I will have to use force." One of her hands pressed to her middle, the blood making her black leather combat suit cold and slick against her skin. "Excuse me."
"Shoot her again. She'll go down then."
They raised their shotguns once more. She raised her hand.
A pulse of biotic energy crackled through the air and lashed at their flesh. Their screams were gargled with blood and they didn't suffer long. They were both dead before they hit the ground.
"Excuse me."
Adra held her middle and staggered past the bodies, one hand on the wall as she became dizzy from blood loss. "Must find a doctor." She chanted to herself. "Ignore the pain. Cannot allow...parents to die...doctor...need a doctor..."
Her staggering became harder and harder to keep balanced, and she pushed more of her weight against the wall as she shuffled towards the local clinic. Logically she wouldn't find anyone there, as all none humans were evacuated from this section of omega, if not the whole station, because of the plague. Adra recalled that the clinic was run by a Salarian doctor.
"Mother, you have been shot. You need medical assistance to remove the bullet from your back."
"What? And let that damn pyjak come near me with a scalpel? I think not!"
"I am confused. You mean to say the doctor at the clinic is a pyjak?"
"No dear. Worse. He's Salarian!"
She recalled the memory of the conversation she had shared nearly a year ago with her mother. Strange how thinking and recalling was becoming harder to accomplish now. breathing was becoming laboured, and her limbs seemed to gain weight as she forced her body forward. "I need...a doctor...mother...auntie...plauge...doctor...need. ..do...do..."
She fell to her knees and pressed her bloody hands on the floor to stop her falling over. "No...cannot...stop. need...a doctor...mother...auntie..."
Adra crawled, leaving a bloody smear wherever she dragged her knees and pawed at the floor, finally seeing the symbol glaring up ahead for the clinic. But would she make it?
She could hear her breathing in her head like it was rasping over a radio, and she felt so cold. Her body was trembling and her eyes had long since closed by the time her head bumped into the doors. Thankfully they opened and the command to stop was shouted to the mechs inside before they tore her up.
Any more.
"Quickly! Dr Abrams! Injured patient at the door. Severe blood loss. Bullets still imbedded in abdomen. Vital signs are weak. Strong girl, crawling all this way..." there was a bloody smear trailing her journey to the doorway.