There weren't too many places on the Normandy where someone as large as Grunt could pace effectively, and the port cargo hold was just such a spot. His armor still bore the scars of his fight with Jack from two hours before, but the gash on his head had sealed and his wounded leg finally stopped bleeding. After he dropped Jack off in the infirmary, Dr. Chakwas offered to look at his injuries. When he refused she didn't try to keep him from leaving. He liked the doctor. She knew when her services were needed and when they weren't.

Or was she just happy to get him out of her lab? Grunt stopped mid-stride to consider that. No, she respected his superior metabolism and healing capability. He was sure of it.

But where was Shepard? The ship's computer successfully piloted the shuttle back to the Normandy when he called to explain that he'd nearly dropped Jack into the void, and then went back to the planet to retrieve Shepard when he completed his mission.

Grunt expected to stay on the shuttle and return to the surface with it, but the male Cerberus soldier insisted that Grunt go to his quarters and wait there for the Commander. Grunt suggested that Taylor make him, but Shepard called the ship and confirmed the order. So instead, Taylor and the turian went back down to act as rearguard for Shepard, while Grunt returned to the cargo hold to wait. After the act of conversing, waiting was the thing Grunt was worst at.

The cargo bay's hatch whirled and hissed open. Shepard, still in his combat gear from the surface, stopped in the door.

"Battlemaster!" Grunt stood rigidly at attention, making his ankle throb. He could hardly wait to tell the tale of his fight, and hear the assessment.

Shepard cast a glance out the hatch before shutting it behind him. He wore a scowl as he followed the trail of bloody footprints that crisscrossed the floor to where Grunt's pacing had coated the deck with smudgy layer of dried blood. In the middle of it all, the krogan stood ramrod straight, a wide, toothy grin on his face. "You all right?"

"I've got third degree burns and deep trauma on my left ankle and foot," Grunt said. "It'll heal by tomorrow. The head wound is superficial. I am ready for battle now, if you command it!"

Shepard continued to stare at the krogan. "You want to tell me what happened down there?"

"Oh, it was magnificent!" Grunt began to pantomime the fight and Shepard took a step back. "First she tried to stun me with a blast through the ground, to knock me down. First mistake, not going for the kill right away. But I knew she'd-"

"Grunt, "Shepard waved his hands. "Grunt! What started it?"

The krogan slumped. "You don't want to hear about how I beat her?"

"In a minute," Shepard said. "First I want to know why two of my crew tried to kill each other."

"Oh. She was going to abandon her post."

"What?"

"She was going to desert, run away." Grunt grinned again. "I stopped her."

"How do you know she was going to desert?"

"She told me," Grunt was growing impatient with this line of questioning, especially when there were more important things he actually wanted to discuss. But if his battlemaster wanted information he would provide it, no matter how long it took.

It was Shepard's turn to pace. "Did she say why?"

Grunt shrugged. "She thinks you're using us. Bulletstoppers, she said. That you'd use us when you didn't want to get one of your favorites killed. Or leave us behind to do the tasks that were below them."

Shepard stopped and stared at Grunt once more.

"I told her she was wrong," Grunt said. "You choose your allies based on their strengths, on who will bring you victory. But she didn't believe me."

"Then what happened?"

"She told me I was full of shit," Grunt's eyes narrowed. "I didn't like that."

"Is that why you attacked her?"

"Oh, I wanted to... But that's not what you've been teaching me."

Shepard raised his eyebrows. "Go on."

Grunt looked away, embarrassed. "I told her that we were a lot alike, and she didn't like that at all. Then I told her she had you all wrong, that following you would lead to glory, if she'd just let you teach you like you've taught me. For some reason, that made her mad. If that's how all human females think, I feel sorry for your species."

"Jack's a special case," Shepard said. "But the rest aren't any easier. Then what happened?"

"She picked up her gear and walked off. I told her you gave us an order, and I wasn't going to let her disobey. So I got in her way. "

"And that's when you hit her."

"No. Like I said, that's not what you've been teaching me."

"She attacked you?"

"HA," Grunt bellowed, becoming animated once again. "She tried! But instead of hitting me directly she tried to knock me out from underground. The look on her face when I got up-"

Shepard waved his hand again. "In a minute, in a minute. Let me get this straight. So she hit you first, and you didn't kill her?"

"I thought I did," Grunt said. "I crushed her under my boot. I was thinking about ripping her skull out by the spine, or maybe seeing what my shotgun could do at point blank range, but then she started moving again. So I brought her back on board." Grunt looked down at the floor. "If that was a mistake, I'm ready to face my punishment. It's your ship, your crew, and you are my battlemaster. I know Jack deserves to die for her disloyalty and if you want, I'll bring you her head. But..."

Much like he had misunderstood who attacked who, Shepard puzzled over exactly when he had made the decision to punish anybody for the fight. If anything, Grunt didn't realize how backwards his assumptions were.

Grunt's eyes locked with Shepard. "Jack is one of the strongest enemies I've ever fought. Not just her biotics, but her spirit. She never backed down or begged for mercy. Most aliens would prefer a quick death on their knees, but not her. She fought me to the end and fought well." He straightened again. "If you taught her like you taught me, she'd be a powerful ally. And I know you could do it, battlemaster!"

Shepard rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. "Good thinking, Grunt. I'll see what I can do."

Grunt grew taller with the compliment. Good thinking. Don't hear that very often, he thought. But he liked it. Maybe strength is strength, regardless of where it comes from.

Shepard pointed to Grunt's gnarled leg. "In the mean time, take care of that. I need my heavy hitter at a hundred percent."

"Healed by tomorrow," Grunt said, "I promise."

"Good." Shepard eyeballed the blood soaked floor, then headed towards the door. "I've got to go check on Jack. I'll come back later and you can fill me in on how you took her out."

Grunt laughed with glee. He was sure the day could not have gotten better!


The door closed behind Shepard and he made a cut-off motion with his hand. Directly in front of him, Jacob and Zaeed warily lowered their rifles. Beyond, blue and white sparks dissipated around Samara and Miranda who both wore similar concerned expressions. Garrus and Thane, fresh from their positions in the windows in the starboard hold approached from the opposite end of the corridor, rifles against their shoulders. Shepard glanced up to see Kasumi and Tali replacing the panel covering the ventilation shaft leading to the port cargo hold. They jumped down and joined their crewmates in staring at their commander with amazement. An all-out assault hadn't been needed after all.

Shepard let out a sigh of relief. "Krogan logic."