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Episode 2: Mass Effect - The Battle of Tuchanka

A/N: For those new to this series, I strongly recommend you read Mass Effect: The Battle of Menae (Season 1) before continuing on. If you already have, enjoy Season #2!

Chapter 26 - A Hateful Planet, Day 11 Midday

"Urdnot Base Control, Urdnot Base Control, this is Chaos Air!" Lieutenant Jeff Harbeck shouted over the comm unit, trying to connect with the fortified Forward Operating Base set up one hundred klicks from the capital of Urdnot. "Urdnot Base Control, this is Chaos Air! Please respond!" The Human pilot gritted his teeth as he flew the UT-47A Alliance Shuttle, recently repaired and refitted on the Turian Frigate TSV Cherva Tern, with a few upgrades thanks to the Turian military. The shuttle, despite its upgraded inertia dampeners and more streamlined power transfer case, was being buffeted and banded about in the turbulent atmosphere of the Krogan planet Tuchanka. The winds were blasting the shuttle at over two hundred klicks an hour, and the amount of dirt, sand, dust, and particles in the wind made normal visuals impossible to fly by. The Canadian gritted his teeth as he flew by instrumentation alone, which was affected by the leftover gamma radiation of Tuchanka's permanent nuclear winter. The constant terrible weather that Tuchanka suffered made any kind of flying rather hazardous to anyone going on- or off-planet. "Anyone on this net, this is Chaos Air! Approaching landing beacon. Our vector 270.5, distance 5, altitude 3,000, requesting permission to land at Base Kilo Sierra!"

"Chaos Air, this is Urdnot Outpost Krenjin," came the reply over the comm unit, making the pilot sigh in relief, "we have you on our scanners. Come in, and mind that headwind; it's a killer" The speaker on the comm unit had the guttural tone of a Krogan, and had been punctuated by a laugh at the warning.

"Thanks for the tip." The Canadian quipped, looking over to the co-pilot's seat, occupied by another human, this one in full combat gear. "ETA, five minutes, Lieutenant. Tell everyone to buckle up their sensibilities, 'cause it's going to get choppy!"

"You really know how to sweet talk 'em, doncha, Jeff?" Lieutenant Royce Mason said with a light tone as he stood from his seat, grabbing onto a nearby handle to steady himself as the shuttle rocked and shuttered under the fury of Tuchanka's wrathful weather. "Just try to make sure we crash somewhere near the landing beacon, please?"

"No promises in combat!" Harbeck replied mirthfully, making the Australian-born man grunt in response as he moved from the shuttle's cockpit and into the cargo bay of the UT-47A, where eight men and women were strapped down in their respective seats, holding on tightly as the shuttle bucked and brayed through the terrible Tuchankan weather save the Krogan mercenary Jorgal Thrak, who was chuckling at everyone else's displeasure. Royce held onto a grab-strap, feeling the shuttle pitch slightly to the port as he held on, his eyes going over everyone in his unit, dubbed Chaos Legion. Seven of them he had worked alongside on the Turian moon of Menae, the largest moon of Palaven.

Asari Vanguard Asha T'vara sat in one seat, holding on tightly to the restraint bar that locked her in, all the while looking at the Human Marine with a soft smile. Turian Chief Tech Specialist Elias Korvan didn't seemed to be enjoying being tossed about in his seat as his mandibles quivered, looking as if he were praying to the Spirits. Former Blue Sun Captain Preitor Gavorn was surprisingly asleep in his seat, the Turian's head leaning against one of the restraining bars. Chief Petty Officer Stacy Valentino was smoking a cigar of all things while fiddling with her OmniTool, the Human Sentinel oblivious to the harsh ride. Turian Tech Specialist, First Class Vona Arterius merely sat in her seat, the sniper looking indifferent to the bouncy ride, as if a drop into Tuchanka was an old thing for her. Jorgal Thrak, being a Krogan, was giving his version of a pep talk, telling anyone that would listen to him of the thousand interesting ways to die on his Homeworld. The Quarian Biotic Eloa'Varis nar Tombay vas Thessia seemed to be white-knuckling the whole ride, grasping onto her restraining bar as if it were the only real thing around her.

Which left Royce with his newest, latest member.

Engineer, First Class Vian Torvan was a recent addition that the Chaos Legion had picked up from the TSV Cherva Tern, a gift from the Turian Hierarchy after their two losses on Menae; the Batarian SIU Agent, Commander Garm Jor'radah, and the Salarian researcher, Jaleel Chorban. He came highly recommended from the Turian Frigate's Captain, who had been very reluctant to release the Engineer to the Lieutenant's command. The Turian himself didn't seem very enthusiastic with joining the Chaos Legion, especially once the Engineer heard where it was they were going. Unlike the other members, who had joined together because they had been more or less stuck together in Menae, Vian Torvan had been ordered on board. At the least, the Engineer had heard the stories of their accomplishments on the largest moon of Palaven, and what had happened there. Notoriety was never a bad thing, Royce thought as he motioned everyone to pay attention as he addressed them all.

"Listen up, crunchies!" The N6 spoke up, letting his voice do the talking as oppose to using the comm unit. "We're five mikes out from Outpost Krenjin, where the Krogan forces are staged as a large defensive position in an old military complex." The Australian looked to eight pairs of eyes, seeing that he had everyone's attention. "The Reapers are startin' to make their appearance on Tuchanka, but in smaller numbers than what was projected. We don't know why, except that the Krogan do not want to give up their planet!

"For those not in the know, we have been ordered here not only by Turian and Alliance Command, but also by the Overlord of Tuchanka himself, Urdnot Wrex." That had more than a few trading glances with one another, the name associated with the Battle of the Citadel back in '83. "Evidently, he's got some damn good friends in damn high places, and he's asked for yours truly to come down and help the Krogan forces hold this complex off as Turian ships make planetfall to pick up and transport Krogan forces to bring relief to Turian forces planetside on Palaven."

"Krogan… are asking for help?" Elias Korvan pointed out, his dual-tone indicating surprise and disbelief. "On Tuchanka, of all places?"

"Something about buildin' intergalactic will and relations… and the fact that Commander Shepard asked us to be here, and gave us a glowin' vote of confidence." That had everyone in the shuttle flabbergasted. There wasn't a sentient being that hadn't heard of Commander Shepard; first Human SPECTRE, Hero of the Citadel, supposedly killed and resurrected just to survive a suicide mission through the Omega-4 Relay to destroy a species that worked for the Reapers. The fact that Shepard vouched for them… they only had to look at Royce, knowing that he was an N6, to figure out how they got that recommendation. "So, yeah. We're here. And we have a mission. Pretty big one, too."

"Somehow I doubt it's to wax philosophical with Krogan Priests and introduce the concept of art to their baabaas." Vona Arterius lamented, her duel-toned voice filled with irony.

"Naw. We're startin' up the old Tuchankan ShipKiller Planetary Defense System." The Australian-born man told them, which had Thrak bellow out in shock.

"They're letting us, as in non-Krogan… into the Shaigur Defense Array?" The Krogan merc's eyes were as wide as Royce had ever seen them. "We built those during the height of the Krogan Rebellion to keep the Turians back! It'll down a Dreadnought coming through a Relay long before it reaches kinetic-strike range. They weren't activated back then, having just been completed when… when…" The merc went silent, looking at the N6 Marine, and the Krogan's eyes went shrewd. "They said we would never activate them until the day the Genophage was cured."

"That was the next part of the message." Royce said, having every eye on him. "The Turians wanted Krogan help for Palaven, and the Krogan gave them an ultimatum; a cure for the Genophage. According to Alliance Command and… well… Urdnot Wrex… Commander Shepard did just that. Cured your people, Thrak." That had the Krogan look positively serene for a few moments, obviously lost in thought. "Now that the Genophage is cured, the Krogan are keepin' their word, and sendin' their warriors to Palaven. Unfortunately, Reapers have gotten the message, and are tryin' to prevent just that. Wrex needs the ShipKiller Cannons activated to hold off the Reapers."

"Let me guess, the compound is under attack?" Eloa'Varis asked, her voice synthesizer unable to hide her sarcasm.

"Surrounded on all sides, and under constant attack." Royce confirmed, making most in the shuttle groan good-naturedly. "The Krogan are tough bastards, but they're seeing kinds of Reapers no one else has seen before. Kinds that weren't on Menae, Earth, or Palaven." The Marine waited, letting the words sink in. "If the Reapers take over the compound and take over those Cannons, they will control this entire system very easily, and won't even need one of their ships to defend the Aralakh System or the Krogan DMZ. If we hold off the compound and activate it under our control… the same will be true for us, and we permanently own a part of Inner Counsel Space."

"So deploy on a hateful planet where every living species thinks us a meal, add some pissed off Krogan and some Reapers in the mix, and we got ourselves a picnic." Elias mused, the Turian sniper's tone playful. "Could we possibly head to Omega next? I doubt we've covered every shithole place in the galaxy so far."