The Return of Archangel
Chapter Eight
Zaeed blinked against the bright lights of the Normandy's shuttle bay as the doors opened. He grabbed his gear and jumped out.
There was quite the delegation ready to greet them. Garrus, Major Alenko and six alliance soldiers stood just beyond the shuttle.
"Zaeed." Garrus greeted the mercenary, stepping forward, hand extended. Zaeed shook it firmly.
"Good to see you Archangel." The mercenary greeted. "I hear we've got some Cerberus bastards to kill?"
"You've heard right." Garrus replied as smiles stretched their similarly scarred faces. "But, let's deal with this little situation first."
Zaeed nodded as he turned back to the shuttle. Grunt hopped out, his weapons safely stowed on his back.
"Urdnot Grunt?" The Major asked.
"… Yeah." The young krogan replied, confused by the stiffness of this welcoming committee.
"You are hereby charged with dereliction of duty and placed under arrest under the authority of the Systems Alliance. You will be tried at an emergency tribunal on the main deck immediately." The Major informed Grunt sternly.
Grunt was speechless for the second time in his life as an alliance soldier placed him in handcuffs and marched him to the elevator, the five other soldiers following closely.
"Do you think this will work?" Garrus asked Zaeed once the krogan was out of earshot.
"I hope so." Zaeed replied, darkly. "Because if not, we'll have to put him down."
After strolling off the Cerberus ship, Kasumi proceeded towards the marketplace with the usual spring in her step. However, upon rounding a corner to instantly witness a Cerberus soldier executing two turian children, her disposition soured. She instantly snapped his neck - an unusually aggressive move from the thief - lamenting that she had been too late to save the children.
"I reckon as his neck snapped, Garrus smiled." Kasumi thought.
She looked around, finding a maintenance hatch, peering inside to take note of the space. She stepped over the body of the Cerberus trooper, lifting the first child and placing him gently inside the hatch. She did the same for his brother, gently closing the lid and locking it shut. If their parents were still alive, she wasn't going to let Cerberus desecrate their children's bodies.
She removed the helmet of the deceased trooper, unclicking his communicator from the frame.
"Ugh, gross." Kasumi groaned as she wiped down the earpiece on his corpse. Satisfied that it was reasonably clean, she hooked it over her ear, and began her reconnaissance.
Major Alenko stood on the raised plinth at the galaxy map, overlooking the 'courtroom'. Garrus stood to his right and Liara to his left. The crew of the Normandy, including the specialists, were all in place around the room, making the deck looked packed to capacity. That is, except for one very specific occupant.
Grunt was stood at the other end of the galaxy map, two alliance soldiers at either side of him. He wasn't even trying to break out of his handcuffs. He just looked at the ground forlornly.
"I call this tribunal to order." Major Alenko said authoritatively. The general hubbub died down. "Defendant, state your name and clan."
"Grunt, of clan Urdnot." He replied.
"Do you understand the charges brought against you?" The Major asked.
"Yes." Grunt replied, eyes still not rising to meet anyone else's.
"Do you understand that as captain of the SSV Normandy I have the authority to preside over this tribunal and sentence you upon reaching a verdict?" The Major asked.
"I do." The krogan replied.
Zaeed smiled from his place in the crowd. This tribunal was a complete lie and everyone in attendance knew it, but it was vital to play on Grunt's lack of street-smarts. This tribunal vaguely resembled an Alliance proceeding, but Archangel and Alenko were going to throw as much krogan terminology in as they could to maintain the illusion of authority. Grunt may have had his rite of passage on Tuchanka, but this rite of passage would be altogether more rewarding if it paid off.
"Field Marshal Garrus Vakarian, you stand as krantt for the late Commander John Shepard and as prosecutor. State your case." The Major commanded.
"Certainly." Garrus replied. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he had engaged full-on 'turian' mode. He was actually basing his performance off his father, not that anyone here would know that.
"Urdnot Grunt. Upon completion of your rite of passage, you chose to serve under a Battlemaster, did you not?" Garrus enquired.
"I did." Grunt replied.
"State for the court the identity of your chosen Battlemaster." Garrus ordered.
"Commander Shepard, of the Normandy." Grunt replied, eyes still downcast.
"Were you ever formally dismissed as Commander Shepard's krantt?" Garrus enquired.
"No, such dismissal isn't possible." Grunt replied.
"Detail for the court the reason behind your return to Tuchanka after the assault on the Collector base." Garrus ordered.
"Shepard was arrested. I returned to Urdnot to serve my clan, under the command of Clan Chief Urdnot Wrex." Grunt replied, somewhat confused. Garrus paused.
"I'll hand over to the defence for the moment." Garrus announced.
"Very well." Alenko replied. "Doctor T'Soni, you stand as Urdnot Grunt's krantt and defense. State your case."
"Thank you." Liara replied politely. "Urdnot Grunt, detail if you can the procedure regarding the krantt of Battlemasters who are found to have committed a crime."
"Uh." Grunt thought hard. "Criminal Battlemasters are usually killed before any sort of trial occurs. But if the crime is severe enough, most krantt will renounce their Battlemaster before trial. If a Battlemaster is convicted, they lose their status, and therefore their krantt."
"Could it be argued that upon his arrest, Commander Shepard lost his status as Battlemaster? I will remind you that he was stripped of all his Council and Alliance titles." Liara ventured.
"I guess." Grunt replied. "But to the krogan, Shepard committed no crime."
"Shit." Zaeed thought. "He didn't take the bait. They'll need to change tack."
"If Shepard lost his krantt, the turian can't stand as prosecutor on his behalf." Grunt added. "So I was still his krantt at the time of his death."
"I didn't stand as his krantt while he was in captivity." Garrus replied. "I resumed my place after the trial."
"Then you were merely unworthy of him." Grunt growled, making eye contact for the first time.
Garrus looked to Liara. This was going nowhere.
Kasumi hurried through the marketplace, eager to clear the smoke that was sure to mess with her camouflage system. The fact that the smoke was rising from various piles of burning corpses was another good reason to get out of this particular section. The thief vaguely recalled Mordin and Miranda discussing similar circumstances during the plague that consumed the lower levels, but these bodies were the result of prejudice and violence, not disease.
Humans rushed around under the watchful eyes of armed Cerberus troops. Chained asari were being marched around at gunpoint, biotic suppression collars wrapped around their necks.
Information was filtering through to her earpiece throughout the entirety of her trip. Apparently, the main resistance had been split in two by internal conflict, leading to three forces fighting each other on the station.
Cerberus dominated the upper levels, and held Afterlife as their headquarters, which was where Kasumi was heading now. Down in the lower levels, the human resistance, eager to fight Cerberus, were continually gnawing at the group's ankles, skirmishes continually occurring in elevator shafts and corridors. It was a war of attrition, with Cerberus and the human resistance losing roughly equal numbers with each fight.
Right down at the bottom of the station, the second resistance group were biding their time. They were led by a krogan called Patriarch, and were killing every human in reach – Cerberus or otherwise.
Cerberus were worried that Patriarch was going to strike a deal with the waiting Blood Pack fleet to allow them to gain entry to the station. There were no docking bays in the lower levels, but plenty of room for the Blood Pack to manoeuvre a team to cut through the hull of the station and fashion a crude airlock.
Luckily for Cerberus, communication was still locked down... for the moment.
"As the accused's defence counsel, I would like to draw your attention to exhibit 'A'." Liara stated.
"Please detail the nature of this exhibit." Alenko commanded.
"It is a recording of a radio communication between Urdnot Grunt and Urdnot Wrex during the Battle of London." She replied, as she typed some commands into a console. The voice of a krogan suddenly came in over the speakers.
The Battle of London, London, United Kingdom, Earth
Grunt grabbed a husk that was clawing its way into a fellow krogan's back and threw it to the ground, crushing its skull under the considerable force of his boot. An order blared in through Grunt's earpiece.
"Grunt, it's Wrex." The clan leader yelled. "Alliance says Reapers have cut Shepard's team off from the beam." The clan leader paused as Grunt heard shotgun fire over the comm line. "I've gotta co-ordinate our own forces, you break off and get down there as quick as you can!"
"Got it." The young krogan replied.
Grunt turned to look at the beam, readying his shotgun. He charged off, not even checking the NavPoint on his Omni-tool.
"Clan Chief Wrex's order came in at 01:53 local time." Liara explained. "Alliance reports say Shepard was spotted making it to the beam at 01:55. From his Omni-tool data, the defendant was one and a half miles away from the beam when he received his orders. On foot, making it there, navigating such heavy resistance, would have been physically impossible."
"I don't understand." Grunt replied. "When I got there, the beam turned off."
"The beam was reported switched off at 02:07, long after Shepard himself travelled through it." Liara responded.
"Does the prosecution have any more questions in light of this evidence?" Kaidan asked.
"The prosecution has no questions." Garrus replied, shaking his head.
"In that case," Kaidan began, "on the charge of dereliction of duty, I find the defendant not-"
"NO!" Grunt roared, smashing his fists into the desk in front of him. "I stopped to help others instead of following orders! Ask the asari, she knows from the data!"
Garrus rolled his eyes. That was two lifelines Grunt had batted away. Clearly they would have to go to plan C to keep up appearances.
Kaidan turned to Liara, who merely nodded in affirmation of Grunt's statement.
"Urdnot Grunt." Kaidan began, typing something into his Omni-tool. "You are hereby found guilty of dereliction of duty to your krannt. However, in light of your history of service, and commendations from the militaries of several races for valour, you will not be sentenced at this tribunal."
Grunt looked to Kaidan, again confused.
"Report to Deck One." Kaidan commanded. "You will be sentenced there by an appropriate party in accordance with krogan law. Court is dismissed."
With that, Grunt was marched to the elevator to meet his fate.
Kasumi looked up the stairs to the marketplace entrance for Afterlife. Two Cerberus troopers stood guard at the door. Killing them wasn't really an option, having passed at least twenty more troopers in the marketplace. The thief checked her surroundings and de-cloaked.
"Hello boys!" Kasumi greeted with a wave as she peered round the corner.
"What the hell?" The trooper on the left exclaimed as he drew his rifle and ran down the stairs, his fellow guard following closely.
She rounded a corner and reactivated her cloak, jumping over a nearby counter. The hapless Cerberus troops ran straight past her, allowing her to rush upstairs and enter the infamous nightclub.
As soon as the elevator reached deck one, the accompanying alliance soldiers undid Grunt's restraints, and then resumed their silent stance. He took a step forward and the elevator doors shut quickly behind him. The newly convicted krogan looked at the door to Shepard's cabin. He pressed the button on the doorframe and waited.
The doors opened, and Grunt stepped in. He scanned the room, but there was no-one there. Suddenly, a figure emerged from behind the model ship display, and slowly approached the young krogan.
Grunt immediately lowered himself to one knee, head bowed, awaiting judgement.
"Well," Tali began, "the trial was… interesting."
Grunt didn't respond. Noting his lack of response, and unchanging pose, Tali decided to put on her Admiral Zorah voice.
"Is there anything you wish to say before I pass judgement?" Tali asked.
"As the mate of my Battlemaster, I offer my services as krantt to you." Grunt replied. "I will protect you with my life, as I failed to protect your mate."
Tali smiled sadly. Even the krogan super-soldier didn't know how to handle Shepard's passing. She gently laid a hand on his bowed head.
"Grunt, what happened was not your fault." She said, gently. "Shepard knew both the risks and his destiny. He was proud of you. You served him well. I remember watching you fight so hard on the Collector base, and Shepard and Wrex told me about how you led Aralakh Company to defeat the Rachni. You've not been alive long, but from the moment you got out of that tank you gave it your all. You're not guilty of dereliction of duty in my eyes or anyone's but your own. Your offer to protect me in Shepard's memory is very honourable, but I decline."
"Then what is your judgement?" Grunt asked.
"I want you to recognise that we all feel the same way you do about Shepard. We all wish we could have been there to help him. Your 'sentence' is to fight as Shepard's krantt for as long as you live. Use what he taught you about the battlefield and the galaxy to help those in need, as he did in life."
"I accept your judgement." Grunt replied.
"There is an additional sentence." Tali continued. "But you can stand for this one." She smiled.
Grunt rose to his feet, his eyes meeting the glowing points underneath the quarian's mask.
"You know why Garrus asked you here?" Tali asked.
"Omega." Grunt replied simply.
"Exactly." Tali replied. "Your other job will be to watch out for him."
"The turian's a good shot, he doesn't need my help." Grunt replied. "Not that I reject your sentence." He added hastily.
"Knowing him, there will come a point where Garrus is either ready to sacrifice his life or his soul." Tali explained sadly. "If you can, make him think about whether Shepard would make the same choice. Make sure he stays Garrus Vakarian, and doesn't become Archangel again."
"As you wish." Grunt replied, acknowledging her with a simple nod of his head.
"If Aria doesn't repaint after this, she's not going to do much business." Kasumi thought upon entering the former nightclub.
Afterlife was now white and chrome, unmoving and sterile. A bearded man stood at what used to be Aria's observation post talking to a young woman, who Kasumi recognised as the acting captain of the ship that she stowed away on.
Analysts were poring over data on numerous screens around what used to be the dance floor. Peering over a ledge, Kasumi saw that the lower portion of the nightclub had been converted into a makeshift barracks, housing bunks for maybe twenty or so troopers.
"I need to get close enough to the boss to take his picture." Kasumi began detailing her plan in her mind. "Not to mention find a link to the communications array."
Kasumi retrieved a small hacking unit from her belt, and crept towards a vacant station. She peered around the holographic monitor, and clipped the unit into the appropriate socket. Her first task was done.
"If Aria and Garrus want to know who's leading the operation, they can search the database…" Kasumi resumed her train of thought. "But what's life without a little danger?"
The thief grinned as she turned to the stairs where Anto once stood guard. Resuming her creeping pace, she made her way across the dance floor and up the stairs. The thief quickly pressed herself flat against the wall as the new captain made her way down the steps. Once she had passed, she made her way to the platform, readying her Omni-tool.
The man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, surveying the scene before him, doubtless plotting strikes against the two resistance units.
Kasumi raised her arm. Her Omni-tool was projecting using non-visible light, allowing the implants in her eyes to see it, but no-one else.
As she readied her Omni-tool's camera function, the man turned, grabbing her invisible arm and twisting hard, instantly breaking it. Kasumi screamed as the pain shot up her arm, and the man's other hand clasped tightly around her neck, choking her.
Kasumi could only struggle as the man effortlessly lifted her over the edge of the balcony. Her cloak had deactivated, and all eyes were now on her. Kasumi kicked and choked as she desperately tried to free herself from the iron grip of her attacker. His grip loosened ever so slightly, and she looked into the man's eyes.
They had bionic components, easily visible up close. Clearly he could see light in non-visible wavelengths too. His dimly glowing eyes were eerily reminiscent of the Illusive Man.
His death grip had resumed, and Kasumi found herself gasping again, her useless broken arm dangling.
"I've changed my mind Ms. Goto." The man said suddenly, his grip loosening for the second time. "I'm not going to kill you."
Kasumi desperately drew her breath while she could, the pain from her arm fogging her mind.
"At least… not yet." He finished, as he let go of her neck.
The thief found herself facing a long drop for the second time in the space of a week. She plummeted downwards, a hard steel table breaking her fall, and slumped to the floor.
As Kasumi coughed up a little blood she registered searing pain now coming from her arm and her back. As she lamented her decision, her world softly faded to black.
