AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just started up a youtube channel and one of my first LPs is of Mass Effect. Just search for The Tired Dad Plays.
You can also follow me on twitter here: /ShawnHerndon1
Udrnot Saatra had just finished her meal when she excused herself from the circle where the young and other females were eating. They were all too preoccupied with talking to their latest editions to really notice her step out. She didn't mind. She felt very strongly for Jaq and Shard, much as most of the other females had. These two understood the pain of being Krogan at such a young age. It was humbling. Some Shamans had not lived through what these two had been forced to. But they still came out the other side strong and brave. True Krogan.
Saatra walked up a flight of stairs to a balcony that overlooked the proceeding. She was about to head towards the baths when she heard a noise from above her. Some sort of stomping. No one should be up there. She opened her omni-tool to inform her Clan leader.
"Bakara, I heard something on the roof. I'm going to check it out."
"Good idea Saatra. Let me know what you find."
Saatra turned towards a ladder that could bring her to the top of the building. She pushed the heavy latch up until it slammed on it's back and she pulled herself through the hole. Unfortunately, it made all together too much noise. She had only seen five figures before her she heard a shot. Her brain came out of the back of her head and she fell back down the ladder she had just climbed, landing on her head and cracking her skull.
"Son of a bitch, they'll all have heard that. Take the shot now before that bitch gets away," The voice came from a man who had just killed the alien. He looked back over his sniper's position to see a girl with green eyes, her head shrouded in in a head dress of some kind. His sniper didn't hesitate once he got the order. She knew the fight was about to start, and didn't have any delusion about getting away. All that mattered was the mission. The noise of the shot alerted everyone sitting around the meal and they stood instantly. The girl with the green eyes looked up just as the sniper pulled the trigger.
Shard felt the punch of the bullet as it pierced her chest. She had only just stood when she heard a shot, when another one rang out louder. It punched through her shields and armor easy enough, exiting through her back and putting a dent into the stone wall. And dinner had been going so well she though. As she was blasted off her feet, she rolled her body back so she could carry herself through with the momentum. After flipping up on her hands she landed in a crouched position. Her body had already started to stitch itself back together. She had to move now or the next one would be between her eyes. She jumped into cover behind a pillar just as another bullet whizzed past hear ear.
"Shard stay down," commanded Jaq. She sent a shockwave through the air to where she saw the shot come from. It sent the attackers back a bit while she moved to her friend. She got with her behind a pillar.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck Shard, I'm glad you moved out of the way. Have you ever taken one to the brain before? Are you OK?"
"I'm fine Jaq, just sore. I've only gotten a head shot a couple of times and it's not something I'd like to repeat. Who shot me?"
"Shit yeah, you didn't see. It's them Shard. Those fuckers from the labs. They're trying to take us back," panic crept into her voice. "I don't want to go back Shard, please don't let them take us back. We just got away. It was supposed to be for real this time." Jaq clenched her eyes to try and fight against the fear that was already gripping her spirit.
"Be at ease Jaq. Remember the lessons of Siva. I won't let them take you while I still draw breath." She intertwined her fingers in Jaq's. The smaller girl took a steady breath and readied herself.
"Shit. Right. Sorry to lose it on you. Alright. What's the plan?"
Bakara had moved the rest of the kids away from the killzone just as fire returned, this time from assault rifles. She felt herself get hit a couple of times. Nothing her shields couldn't handle yet. She moved under the ledge where the humans were shooting from. She looked back just as Jaq brought a barrier around herself and Shard. There was a hole in Shard's tunic and it was stained with the girls blood but she didn't seem hurt by it. Bakara was still trying to get used to the idea of a Krogan who looked human, but the proof was in front of her once again. "Hurry!"
The two girls made their way to their Siva when a grenade hit the center of the room. A bright flash and loud noise blinded them to the sight of five armed soldiers jumping into the center of the room. Jaq didn't know what what happening, but she had been trained against flash greneades before. She wrapped her barrier around the three of them and pushed out a large bubble of force towards the center of the room. She heard some grunts and felt a strong hand grip the back of her clothes and haul her away.
Bakara hauled the two girls behind her and into another room. She locked the door and tried to clear her eyes. When she heard footsteps in the hall she told the girls to quite before they were ready to press the attack.
Muffled by the walls, they could hear their enemies speaking. "God damn it. How did you miss that shot. You had her in your sights."
"Well the bitch stood up. She took it to the heart, I saw the exit wound on the wall behind her. Cunt should have stayed down," a females voice said defensively.
"For fuck sake's you two, quite down. Spread out."
The talking stopped after that command. Shard heard it come from behind the wall she stood. That one must be in charge. Getting rid of a leader would help them keep the enemies off balance. She breathed in once and held it for more than second. Her body bathed in blue and she leaned back on her left leg.
"Shard what are-"
"Did ya'll hear that? It came from that room." Shard let her breath out just as she launched herself in a rush. The wall slammed into the outline of her barrier but it gave way without much pause. She could see the soldier turn his helmet towards her and try to raise his rifle just as she continued on her path. Shard didn't stop until she slammed through another stone wall and skidded to a stop on her heels. Her tunic was now torn a bit. She was doing better than her foe however. Or what was left of him. The corpse had slammed into the corner. Armor was dented and leaking. There was no movement. At least not from that side of the building. Two more figures rushed into the room just as she turned.
"That bitch got the captain, how the fuck did she do that?"
"Just shoot her god damn it." A shot gun rang out. But Shard had tumbled out of the way. She crawled through a hole in the wall that led her back to the dining area.
In the other room, Bakara reached underneath a bookshelf and pulled out a shotgun she kept there for emergencies. She brought Jaq closer and told her that no matter what happens, do not show any mercy.
"No worries Siva. These fucks aren't taking me and Shard back." Her barrier flashed as she was hit with several shots from a heavy pistol. She moved away from Bakara so she could dash towards the human shooting her. He didn't stop even as she got closer, her fist now looking as if it were wreathed in blue flames. She brought it against his face with such force that it snapped his neck instantly. It hung at an unnatural angle. She was sure the only thing keeping on his body was the armor.
As Jaq was about to turn, she felt an arm snake around her throat and lift her off the ground. She tried to pull it off, but her last display had left her drained momentarily. She had to let it build back up before she could strike. A synthesized woman's voice came from the helmeted face behind her, speaking towards her Siva.
"Back off bitch. We're leaving with these freaks. Unless you want them to be killed, you'll let us walk out of here. And don't think of moving, or the little cunt gets it."
"No." Bakara's finger squeezed the trigger of her gun. Soldier's leg snapped off once the blast made impact with her knee. Jaq pulled herself off the ground took the woman's arm in her hands while her foot found a spot against her neck. Pulling them apart, she heard a satisfying crack. "Ha, nice shot."
Bakara smiled down at her child and hurried past her. "Come, let's find Shard." They moved back down the hall, stepping over the debris left in Red's wake. As they came into the dining room the found two soldiers with their backs to them. They were trying to get a bead on the girl, but she was two fast, jumping all over the room. Jaq snuck behind one of the taller men and jumped onto his back. With her hands once again bathed in blue fire, she wrenched until she saw his backplate rip apart. She kicked off of him just as she laid down a warp, which ripped apart the man's back until the fleshed was pulled away, revealing muscle and a bit of his spine. She felt herself kicked aside just as the last soldier pointed his gun in her face. Half of his helmet had been pulled off, most likely Red's doing. She held her breath waiting for the shot, when she saw the barrel of a shotgun placed against his head.
"You will not harm my child."
The one eye exposed on the man darted between Jaq and the large Krogan female. "This ends one way or another but if you don't take your gun off me, I'm going to pull this trigger and your child won't have such a pretty face anymore."
"You planned to kill them anyway, I will not give you an opportunity to do as you wish." She squinted her eyes and pressed her gun forward harder against his exposed skull. "Now put it down."
The man was too focused on Bakara to see Shard move next to him. With a deft movement she ripped the pistol out of his hand and dismantled it, throwing the pieces to the floor. She brought her fist back and hit him with enough force in his stomach to double him over, despite his armor. Shard pulled Jaq up and hugged her.
"I am thankful you are alright."
"Ha, who me? These fucks didn't have a chance."
Just then her Tuva and a Turian moved into the room. With them were several guards. Shard and Jaq didn't know the man, but if he was with Wrex, he wasn't a threat the each figured.
Wrex ran up to Bakara and put his hands on each side of her face. He closed his eyes and brought his forehead against hers. She returned the quick gesture and then pointed her gun back at the unconsciousness soldier on the ground.
"We found some dead guards by a transport ship in one of our ports. We came as soon as we figured they were after the Taks." Wrex turned his gaze towards his two children and he knelt down and pulled them each into a hug. "My little Serats. You alright?" He straightened again. Not used to showing as much emotion as he had in the last 2 minutes, he looked over each one again. He saw the hole in Shard's tunic and the blood stains.
"Do not worry Tuva. We are fine. I don't know about the others. We heard a shot before it all began. But we were able to stop them."
"Ha, stop them she says." Jaq straightens up a bit, her face full of bravado. "Shard fucking plowed through walls like they were made out of pyjak shit. And I nearly took one guys head off." She glanced at the other guards who were chuckling at her. "Yeah that's right, I'm a badass." Her chest puffed up even more. Shard looked at her with a smile and patted her on the back.
Bakara grunted again. "Ugh. I swear the more they are around you Wrex, the more your bad behaviors rub off on my pups."
"Oh come on Siva. You have to admit, we did great. Didn't even have any weapons."
Bakara smiled behind her mask and didn't pursue the argument further.
The turian stepped forward now. He glanced down at the human's armor and recognized the symbol on his chest plate. "Wrex. I know who sent them. And so do you."
"Yeah I figured as much. Fuckers. I did not expect them to come here for them. At least not so loud. I figured they might lay in wait until the girls tried to leave the planet." Wrex turned towards his mate. "What do you think we should do? There's no guarantee they won't try something again."
Bakara had been thinking the same. She had an idea, but not one she favored much. She had always preached moving away from the Krogan's violent tendencies. She hoped that she could guide her people back towards the spirit of their people that they had lost. But sometimes, you did what must be done. And their reputation could come in handy when used the proper way. "I have an idea. We must make it know what has happened here. And what we are willing to do to protect ourselves and our children. We will execute the human, and we will broadcast it back across the galaxy. As a warning." The man started to stir, but Wrex placed his giant foot on his back and pressed him back down into the dirt.
"Yeah that could work. We'd have to be rough though. Make sure everyone got the point."
Bakara was about to say something again when Shard stepped forward. "I'll do it."
"You sure Shard? It won't be pretty."
"Either I am Krogan or I am not. I will not shy away from my people's heritage or customs. This human will get what is coming to him. And I will make it known what will happen to anyone that comes looking for either me or Jaq."
"Shit princess, that's what I'm talking about. Well, what the fuck are we waiting for?"
Thomas Fitzgerald was not having a good day. The entire op had gone tits up the moment they made it dirt side. His orders were to obtain or to kill. He knew what he would be facing here. He's fought Krogan before. But he had not been expecting the children to fight back. It threw his entire team off balance. And now here he sat, bound and with a bag over his head. He now wished he had gotten the operation to put a cyanide capsule in his back teeth. He knew the stories of what Krogans did to prisoners. And here he was, smack dab in the middle of Turtle country. He heard some sort of commotion around him when the bag was suddenly lifted from his head. A Krogan stood in front of him holding out his omni-tool, a red record light blinking. He looked around and could see the child with no hair standing between the female Krogan who had the shotgun pressed against his face, and a large red male with scars running down a ruined face. Or maybe he was considered handsome.
Then out of his side view stepped the girl with red hair and he tried to pull back only to find himself firmly planted into the chair he was sitting, bound by rope.
"Human, what is your name?" Thomas didn't say anything, he wasn't about to give up anything to this freak. "Why did you come here? What is it you wanted."
Shard knew the human wouldn't say. "That's fine. You don't need to. I already know what I need to." With that Bakara stepped forward and opened up her omni-tool. With a few quick strokes she brought up a video feed along with audio. It showed their brief fight, how the humans had shot Shard through the chest, and their eventual defeat. Then it sent a data packet into the man recording's omni-tool. "That was the information we pulled from your ship human. You Cerberus ship."
Thomas' eyes widened. How could these idiots get passed their encryption? There couldn't have been anyone here smart enough for that. He was about to shout some lie to try and cover his organization when he felt a gag forced into his mouth. He nearly choked on the rag as it was pushed nearly to the back of his throat.
Shard turned back towards the camera. "I am Shard. Ever since I was born, I was experimented on by the humans. Along with Jaq." The camera turned towards the other girl, who simply flipped it off. "We were cut open, shot and nearly destroyed. Until we were saved by my father Urdnot Wrex." The camera panned to Wrex who folded his arms. "We came her to be in peace. We do not care for the humans, we do not seek revenge against my former people. We just want to be left alone. But, "Shard moved behind Fitzgerald and she grabbed a handful of his hair, "if anyone else attempts to harm me or my family, if anyone else wants to commit yet another atrocity against the Krogans, you better be prepared for a fight that you will not win. Let this be a lesson to you all."
With a hard wrench, she pulled Thomas head back, exposing his neck. She brought her teeth against his throat and tore out a large chunk. The meat hung from her lips as he tried to scream. Next her fingers forced the hole larger and she pushed forward with unheard of force for a child. When her hand came back out, it was gripping viscera that dipped down her arm and stained more of her tunic. The man had begun to spasm now as he bled out. Shard looked directly into the camera and spit the meat from her lips onto the ground.
"Leave us alone." The last words were almost drowned out by the cheers and the chants of Shard's name. The Krogan ended the recording and sent off the data packet to several Citadel news stations, as well as several Alliance ones. Shard looked around and was almost humbled by the outpouring of support. The body she had just murdered was pulled away from the arena. Wrex and Bakara approached her. Bakara put her hand on Shard's shoulder as Jaq started to scream excitedly in her friends face. Wrex gave her a nod and turned back towards Kri.
"I told you they were Krogan."
"Yes I can see that now. I'll make sure the Broker gets the message. The girls are off limits, unless willing to take a great loss to resources. But you don't have to worry about him. He'll be happy with the payment."
"I'm also calling in all my favors I've built up with him. Tell him that I want to know anytime someone has the quad to try and come here for them. They'd be good practice for the Taks."
Kri shook his head and let out a small chuckle. "You're never boring Wrex I'll give you that. Alright, I'll pass the message along. Safe travels friend."
"Kri," Wrex simply said with a nod of his head and the agent left. Wrex went back over to Shard just as the Krogans were starting to leave. Many of them had opened up their omni-tools to save the video of what just happened.
"You did great Tak. Couldn't have done it better myself."
"If you did it Tuva, I'm not sure he'd have a head left. And you would have probably swallowed it. I might not be human, but I've got enough of them in me to want to avoid the issues caused by cannibalism."
"Ha-ha-ha, well in that case, let's get you some real food. Might even try some Ryncol to wash that bad taste from your tongue."
"That's a joke right? Siva, please tell me he's joking." The four of them left the room to find a more enjoyable end to the day.
