Wrex and I found the hanar merchant pretty quickly, once we entered the marketplace at Port Hanshan.
"This one offers greetings. It is gratified to see its old friend Urdnot Wrex in such good health. The arrival of your Spectre captain, however, was not greeting with any joy by the companies here."
"Opold." Wrex's greeting was short and succinct, as per usual. "Your case." He placed it down on the ground beside the hanar.
The hanar's fluorescents flashed with joy. "This one offers profuse thanks, friend Urdnot Wrex. However, it wonders if it might prevail upon its old friend for one more favor."
"Hmmm… extra favors," Wrex mused. "Sounds like extra credits to me, 'old friend.'"
"This one of course would gladly reimburse you for your trouble. Handsomely."
"Tell me the job first and then we'll talk about proper figures for reimbursement, Opold."
"Perhaps we should go somewhere more private?" Opold turned on his tentacles to steal a glance at me.
"Ko'le is a friend. Anything you need to say to me, you can say in front of him," assured Wrex. "He's one of the best damn fighters I've seen in a few centuries. If this favor of yours has any chance of a firefight, you'll want him on our side."
"This one understands." Opold turned and nodded its… body… at me, then turned back to Wrex.
"The package in question is being sold to one Inamorda."
"Inamorda's here? On Noveria?" Wrex's voice was thick with disbelief and laced with anger.
"Indeed," confirmed Opold. "He has been rather… demanding of late, and refuses to pay the agreed-upon price for the merchandise, demanding this one lower the price to 50,000 instead of the agreed 80,000. This one is supposed to meet him at the Port Hanshan Mezzanine shortly to discuss terms. However, assistance in helping him see his error of judgement would be welcomed."
"Facing down one of the best bounty hunters in the sector," muttered Wrex. "It'll cost you: ten thousand."
"Done." Opold's fluorescents flashed again.
"Come'on, Ko'le. Let's pay our friend a visit." Wrex waved an arm at me, and I followed him. "You notice Opold didn't even haggle us on the price?" he asked, as we walked away.
"You know Inamorda from before," I said, more as a statement than an actual question.
"He's my brother," Wrex muttered darkly.
The fuck?
"Your brother?" I said incredulously.
"Technically, half-brother. We share the same father," he explained. "And precious little else," he added.
"I take it this will not be a friendly family reunion," I said guardedly.
"That depends entirely on him," Wrex said. "You know me, Ko'le: I'm a patient krogan."
"Yep, the path of non-violence: that's you."
Wrex chuckled. We made our way down to the Mezzanine. Looking around, I could see the familiar figures:
Mallene Callis, the asari Armali representative, keeping a close on Rafael Vargas, the Binary Helix salesman.
There at the corner table was Lorik Qui'in, the Synthetic Insights Manager.
I wonder if Shepard is going to talk to him about a garage pass.
But the immediate problem in front of us was the huge grey-clad armored krogan drinking at the bar.
"Inamorda," said Wrex. Don't know why I expected anything else.
"Gods and ancestors, look what the varren dragged in!" Inamorda's tone was condescending, but not immediately hostile. "I would ask you how Tuchanka is, brother but… oh, yeah that's right, you've been gone almost as long as I have, haven't you, brother?"
"Half- brother," Wrex corrected. "And this is not a social call, 'Morda."
"Thank the ancestors for that," Inamorda said, drinking the rest of his glass. "We both know what usually happens at Urdnot social visits, don't we?"
Wrex growled and his hands curled up into fists. Inamorda's free hand snaked down nonchalantly to his waist, but I could see the Scimitar shotgun at the small of his back. How did he sneak that past customs?
"Opold sent me." Wrex said, in a very even tone.
"The hanar? Figured he would need backup to give him a spine. Hehehe, a spine, get it? 'Cause he's a jellyfish? Get it?" Inamorda apparently thought his joke hilarious, as he continued to chuckle.
Wrex responded by putting the case on the table.
"Here's the case. You owe him eighty thousand."
Inamorda took a look over at me.
"Who's the human? Didn't think the almighty Urdnot Wrex would need backup, and wouldn't have thought you'd bring a human to do it."
I flared my biotics, locking him in place with a barrier. Wrex leaned in and spoke in the ear of his now-immobilized half-brother.
"The human is the one who is gonna beat the extra thirty thousand out of your worthless plates, while I sit by and laugh." He looked over at me and nodded. I dropped the barrier, and Wrex took the shotgun from his brother's back.
"Well, well, well… what is this? Wonder if those nice ERCS officers would like to know where I found it? Guns being banned in Port Hanshan and all."
"Idiot," hissed Inamorda. "You've got a gun."
"Me?" asked Wrex innocently. "I'm partnered up with a Council Spectre. The Port Administrator personally vouched for my weapon. That's the difference between you and me, little brother: I make contacts wherever I go. You leave bodies."
"Fine." The word was more a curse than an actual capitulation. "Tell that floating blob of fat that I'll wire the amount we agreed on."
"And I'm keeping this gun," Wrex added, stretching with mock sleepiness. "The things I do to keep my family members from being thrown in a Noveria prison. On second thought, you want it back?" He turned the gun around, offering it back to Inamorda. Inamorda only grunted in reply, grabbing the case and stalking off.
"Until next time, brother."
"Well, that was fairly painless," I said.
"Meh, 'Morda has always had half a quad when it came to getting in a fair fight. He usually collects bounties on volus embezzlers and salarian bail-jumpers. Good call on the biotics, by the way."
"I always have my friends' backs," I replied.
"Hey, isn't that Shepard?"
I turned to see Shepard talking to Mallene Callis. Liara and Garrus were with her.
She's asking her to spy on Rafael Vargas.
Based on Shepard's expression, and Mallene's as she walked away, it looked like Shepard had turned her down flat.
Definitely Paragon.
Wrex and I walked up to join up with the three of them.
"What's the word?" asked Wrex.
"That asshole Anoleis won't give us a garage pass. But that secretary, Parassini? She said to come see a turian named Lorik Qui'in. Said he might have a way to get us to Peak 15."
"That's the only turian in here, besides Garrus," I said, nodding my head at Lorik Qui'in sitting at the table."
"That must be him," agreed Shepard. "You two find out anything?"
"Nothing," Wrex said. I said nothing.
"Well, I'm gonna to talk to our turian friend. You guys chill here. Don't want to spook him with a large crowd."
"We're supposed to meet up with that hanar merchant from the Plaza," Wrex said. "He might not have much information, but he tells me he can get us some top-of-the-line weapon mods."
"Go ahead," nodded Shepard. "We'll be in touch."
"See anything interesting, Ko'le?" Liara asked.
"It is… different being in large crowds," I admitted. "Imagine you in a crowd of talking jewts and krangs."
Her eyebrows went up in surprise. "How do you know about asari pets?"
"I've been doing research. I have 50,000 years of history to catch up on, you know."
Liara smiled. "Impressive. Well, if you need anyone to help you with your history… let me know."
I smiled back. "I shall. Thank you."
"KO'LE? You coming?" Wrex called out from the elevators. I turned and rejoined him. After another ride down the elevator brought us back to the main Plaza.
"This one has just received the transfer of funds from Inamorda. This one's gratitude to his old friend Urdnot Wrex is boundless."
"Group effort," Wrex said. "Ko'le here is the one that intimidated him. I would think you'd give higher praise to him, with him being Prothean and everything."
"This one respectfully asks that you not ruin a perfect business transaction by mocking this one's religion, Urdnot Wrex." Opold turned to me, his luminescents flashing. "The Enkindlers were a sacred race, and the hanar will forever hold them in reverence."
"As shall I," I said and reached out a hand, touching a single finger to his body.
50,000 Years Ago
"What have I done wrong? Why must I go?"
Urush looks down at the hanar wrapped around his wrist.
"You have done nothing wrong, Swims-the-Stars. However, you must go. It is no longer safe with Ko'le and I. The Reapers are coming, and we are going to fight them. But this time, it is most likely that we will fall."
"I will go with you," says the brave little minnow-hanar. "I will gladly die beside you."
"I know you will, little one. But I must ask you to do a much more difficult thing: I must ask you to live for me. My father took you and Ko'le from your world and instilled you with knowledge. If I could, I would return Ko'le to his world. But Fate has seen fit to bring our ship here: back to your homeworld. There are no satellites on your world, Swims-the-Stars. Your people have no ships and no weapons. The Reapers will pass your world by, and never look twice. But you: you must go and tell your people of the knowledge you have gained. You must tell them of the stars and the people that inhabit them. Tell them of the Protheans. And if my plan succeeds, we will return, and we will be millions. Perhaps in a century, perhaps a millennia, or perhaps millennia of millenniums shall pass before our return, but when it occurs, your people must be ready to stand beside us, strong and vast. Do you understand, Swims-the-Stars?"
The little hanar glowed brightly on Urush's wrist. Then the light slowly dimmed.
"I understand. But know this, Master: your father took me and my bloom-mates and gifted us with speech. But it is you, Urush Robbidir, who have enkindled within us the hunger for knowledge. I will on the knowledge I have learned. But first and foremost, I shall remember unto my people the one who made that knowledge possible. I will remember… the Enkindlers."
"Then go in peace, great-heart. And know that Urush Robbidir did love thee."
He lowers his wrist to the beach, and the hanar uncoils his tentacles to stand upon the shore. He begins to move, slowly and deliberately, towards the oncoming waves. I take a knee in the sand beside them.
"Go in peace, Swims-the-Stars. You were a good friend to me when I needed one. I bear the burden of gratitude forever."
"Go in peace, Ko'le. I shall remember thee to my people also, and tell them the story of the Seneschal. Your own kindness to me shall be ever thrice-blessed in the memories of my people."
Swims-the-Stars continues on his way, and the first wave washes over him. He rides it ever-closer to his goal. The next wave washes over him, and when it retreats back to the sea, he is gone. We both regain our feet, looking out over the ocean in front of us. Urush breaks the silence.
"Come, Seneschal. We must return to the repairs on the ship. There must be no signs of Prothean interference when the Reapers scan the planet."
PRESENT DAY
Opold stumbled back, glowing brightly.
"This one… This one…" it stuttered.
"Wrex, could you give us a moment?" I asked.
Wrex looked puzzled, but then turned and walked out of the store into the main Plaza. Opold's voice was low, barely above a whisper, which I didn't even know was possible with their typically echoing voices.
"No outsider has ever known of the Prophecy of the Enkindlers' Return. It is death to speak of it to anyone. Not bondmate, blood-brother, or adopted child. No outsider could ever have learned of it. How…?"
"Be at peace, Opold of the Hanar," I said, and I stepped forward again to mind-speak.
"I am Ko'le, Seneschal of the Protheans, and Servant of the Enkindlers. Long have I slumbered, but I have returned to you now, at the turn of the tide."
"The truth is in your words, Servant. This one is unworthy, for he has seen the face of the Herald of the Return! The Cycle Wheel turns again?"
"Verily. Send out word to Kahje, and tell those among them that still hold the Enkindlers to heart, and remember the Forerunners of old. Tell them that the Herald comes, and I will come to them soon. But the time is not yet right for me to reveal myself to the galaxy at large. Seal this knowledge from those who do not remember the Enkindlers."
"This one hears, and obeys, Herald."
I released him, but I could see him trembling with emotion. He inclined his head in a deep bow, and I brought my right hand across my chest in a Prothean salute.
"KO'LE! TROUBLE!" Wrex shouted. I turned and rejoined him. He was moving quickly towards the elevators again.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Don't know exactly. Check your Omni… oh right. Here, take a look." He paused to hold up his Omni-Tool. There was a message from Shepard:
Synthetic Insights Office. Retrieving files. Expecting trouble with corrupt ERCS officers. Could use a few extra guns.
Shepard
"Cryptic." I said, simply.
"Man, I hope she's right about those Irkies," Wrex said. "Nothing brings more joy to my day than blasting corrupt cops in the face."
"Nothing?" I asked.
"Ok. Almost nothing."
We made our way to the elevators and up to the Synthetic Inights Office. While we were ascending, we could make out the sound of distant gunfire.
"I'd say we're headed the right direction," Wrex said, reading his Karpov shotgun, and checking Inamorda's Scimitar-class shotgun.
I pulled out my Dragon Rifle, bringing it to life with an ominous *WHIRRRRM*.
"Trade?" Wrex said, offering me both shotguns.
"Not on your life, krogan," I scoffed.
"Worth a try," Wrex shrugged.
The elevators doors opened. Moment of honesty: I was not prepared for what we stepped into, and I've played the game on Insanity. Three bodies were sprawled on the floor directly in front of the elevator. Wrex and I brought our guns to bear, stepping over them into the main courtyard.
Mayhem had ensued in Synthetic Insights courtyard. Two uniformed officers were attacking Liara with stun batons, electricity arcing off the biotic barriers she was managing to bring up. Shepard was exchanging fire with three snipers on the level above us, but they had managed to pin her down with their combined firepower, their shots chipping away at the concrete pillar they had trapped her behind. Garrus was actually rolling around the floor, tangled with another turian with a bayonet attached to his assault rifle.
I didn't know bayonets were a thing this early in the game?
"HEY! FUCKFACE!" The turian atop Garrus turned to see the barrel of a Karpov shotgun leveled at him. It was the very last thing he saw before his head liquefied. Wrex's maniacal laugh momentarily broke the concentration of the two baton-wielding officers, which gave Liara just enough time to pull her pistol from the small of her back and fire two shots, the first through the kneecap of one of the officers, the second through the helmet of the other. The knee-capped officer went down, but unfortunately into the path of the charging Wrex. Wrex raised a foot high and brought it crashing down on the officer's chest. The ERCS standard-issue body armor cracked audibly, and the officer's visor went red as he began coughing blood.
Meanwhile, I flared my biotics, throwing a Lift, picking up the three snipers on the balcony up into the air. Shepard saw this and came out, sniper rifle at the ready. She double-tapped one of them cleanly through the head, the first shot taking out his barriers, the second through his helmet. Before she could draw a bead on the other two, a solid blue beam arced across them, taking out their shields within moments, and burning through their armor within seconds. The two remaining snipers screamed as blue flames burst out all over their bodies, vainly trying to fail to put them out while hanging in zero gravity. The Lift ran out, and their two burning corpses fell to the courtyard below. All was silent now in the courtyard.
"Damn. Kills and cooks with the same gun," was Wrex's only comment. "Who's hungry?"
Liara turned her head away and went to help Garrus up, who was clutching his side. "Vakarian, are you injured?" I asked as I moved to assist.
"Spirits. Didn't see that guy's blade attachment until it was almost too late. Rookie mistake, spirits-damned stupid fool that I am." Blue blood dripped through his fingers onto the courtyard.
"Hold still. I have Medi-Gel," Liara said, bringing her Omni-Tool online. A shot rang out across the courtyard. Shepard stood over the officer that Wrex had crushed, her pistol smoking. She then turned back to us.
"Report."
"Officers inflicted cuts and bruises on Liara with those batons, Commander," I said, looking at the purple and dark blue bruises swelling on Liara's head and hands. "Vakarian slightly wounded by bladed weapon. Otherwise all correct."
"Not one to complain while there's fun to be had, but what the hell is going on, Shepard?" Wrex asked.
"Ko'le, Wrex, on me," Shepard ordered. We made our way up the stairs. "We need to retrieve files from Lorik Qui'in's office. They provide proof that Anoleis is embezzling funds from Noveria. With those files in hand, we should be able to get a garage pass to get out of this damned bureaucratic nightmare."
"Copy that," Wrex agreed. We found the computer and retrieved the files. On our way out, a door opened on the far wall and Kaira Stirling stepped through, followed by twelve gunmen.
Damn. She always just had two in the game.
"I don't think you're supposed to be in here, Shepard."
"I have permission to be here from Lorik Qui'in," Shepard answered. "These officers were on Anoleis' payroll. I have proof of it here." She held up the OSD.
"Anoleis would have you thrown offworld for what you did here," Sgt. Stirling continued. "I won't. Do you know what we did to cop killers on my world?"
Her voice was just grating, slightly demented and off-kilter.
"Do you know what we did to corrupt lawmen on MY world?" I said, green-black flames creeping up my arms. "You may have been an agent of the law once, but now you are nothing more than the lapdog of a two-bit official."
I took a wild, blind stab in the dark.
"What if your father could see you now?"
That struck home. Confusion, shock, and pure rage came across her face, in that order. A biotic warp field came at me, along with a scream of fury and hate. I brought up my biotics and deflected it. Wrex moved left, blazing away with a shotgun in each hand, having the time of his life. Shepard had drawn her Spectre-issue Heavy Pistol and had moved to cover, firing at anyone stupid enough to show their head. Four of Stirling's corrupt cops were already down. The rest fell back to cover, trying to flank us on our right. Stirling and I were still just exchanging biotic warp fields. She brought up a wide barrier and started moving forward, and three of her lackeys fell in just behind her, using her biotics for cover.
They've practiced this maneuver before. Too bad it's never been against me.
"KROGAN!" I yelled, tossing my Battle Rifle at Wrex, who by now had overheated both of his shotguns and was using a ridiculously under-sized potted plant for cover. "COVER ME!" To Wrex's credit, he never broke stride, dropping the Scimitar to catch my gun in his right hand. A demented glint came into his eye and he squeezed the pressure pad on the handle, unleashing a bright blue beam of death.
"HAHAHAHAHA! I WILL CONSUME YOUR SOULS! I WILL BEAR YOU TO THE GATES OF HELL AND FEAST UPON YOUR CORPSES! TELL WHATEVER AFTERLIFE YOU GO TO THAT URDNOT WREX SENT YOU THERE!"
Those that the beam didn't kill, it bowled over, depleting their shields and barriers, and sending them scrambling for cover. Wrex focused on Sgt. Stirling's biotic barrier, which strained under the attack. Stirling brought both hands up to steady her field. Even as I charged forward, I could see the blood coming from her nose, dripping down her face. I leapt into the air, carrying me over her barrier and dove fist-first into the center of the group, sending out a shockwave that sent the four of them flying in all directions. More gunfire and the sight of a biotic singularity caused me to look to my right. Under cover of the stairway, Garrus and Liara had rejoined the fight. Outflanked, outgunned, and leaderless, the fight was over fairly quickly.
I walked over to the wall where Kaira Stirling had ended up. Her head was bent at an unnatural angle, and blood was coming out of her nose and ears. Her breaths were coming in ragged gasps, and her eyes were wide and fearful, darting back and forth wildly. Her fingers twitched as I approached, and frightened noise escaped her throat.
"Shhhhh," I crooned, kneeling beside her. "It was a noble effort, and a gallant fight." I wrapped my arms around her head, cradling her in my arms. "There is no shame in this. Go, and the Imperative Take Thee." I firmly twisted her neck to the right, hearing the *snap* of the vertebra severing the spinal nerve column. Her body went limp, and I laid her down on the floor, closing her eyes.
"Can I just say that I LOVE your gun?" Wrex said, kinda spoiling the moment, but I forgave him his enthusiasm.
"Let's go," Shepard said, after checking on Garrus and Liara. "We've got to get this back to Lorik Qui'in."
Once again, I won't bore you with the details what happened next. Gianna Parassini asked Shepard to talk to Lorik Qui'in about testifying against Anoleis, and Shepard being Shepard, she got him to agree.
Gotta admit, it was damn satisfying seeing Anoleis get arrested. And soon, we were on our way to the garage, pass in hand. The garage mechanic Lilihierax graciously allowed Shepard to pass, nodding to us with respect.
The garage door opened to reveal a Geth Prime standing right there, shotgun in hand.
"Shepard!" I yelled, pushing her aside, taking the full brunt of the blast. My shields blocked most of it, and my armor took the rest. I was knocked back a full two meters, landing winded and sore. I looked up to see Wrex tackle the Prime bodily, taking it down to the floor, in time for Garrus and Liara to put a round each in its head. Lilihierax knelt over me.
"Easy. Take it easy," his harmonics said. His Omni-Tool flashed on, and I felt the pain subside and dissipate with the application of Medi-Gel.
"My thanks, comrade, I said, getting to my elbows. "Watch it!" I yelled as a Geth Hopper landed in front of us, the red targeting laser squarely on my turian rescuer. He rolled over me, narrowly avoiding the sniper round, and pulled my Battle Rifle from the small of my back. He brought the rifle up, unwittingly activating the pressure pad in the handle, blasting the Hopper back and shattering it to pieces. Pieces that were on fire.
"What the hell is this beautiful thing?" Lilihierax said, staring at the rifle in his hands with something akin to love.
"Quarian Battle Rifle," I said, getting to my feet and taking it from him. I offered him a hand, and helped him to his feet.
"Spirits, that a beaut."
"Stay behind me," I said, entering the garage. My four companions had by now taken care of the other geth, and the last hopper was caught by one of Liara's singularities. Wrex's dual-wielding shotguns took it apart pretty quickly.
"Oh my god. What did you DO here, Commander?"
Captain Matsuo was standing in the doorway, aghast.
"The Geth ambushed us. We fought back. That's it," Shepard responded evenly.
"Geth? You expect me to…" her eyes fell on the geth body lying on the ground. "Where did they come from?"
"Safe money? Benezia brought them with her as part of her luggage," Garrus answered.
"That's impossible. We did thorough scans of those crates. There were no weapons, no mass effect signatures…"
"Who oversaw the results of those scans?" I asked.
"Administer Anoleis personally came down to oversee…. Oh dammit," Matsuo said, finally putting the pieces together.
"We'll head up to Peak 15. My crew has had experience fighting geth," Shepard said.
"I appreciate that, Commander," Matsuo said gratefully. "My men are good, but few of them have actually seen combat."
"Well take the Mako," Shepard declared. "Load up."
As the rest of us loaded up, Shepard took Liara aside.
"Liara…" said Shepard softly, her eyes saying most of what her words were leaving silent.
"Shepard, I have to go. I might be able to talk to her. At the very least, I know her, and her tactics, better than anyone else in the galaxy. You can't leave me behind," she pleaded.
Shepard closed her mouth and nodded silently. Inwardly, my heart bled, knowing what lay ahead of us at Peak 15.
We got into the Mako and set out into the driving snow. We could barely see the beacons ahead of us that marked the roads from one station to the next. Surprisingly, we deviated from the game again, because we didn't encounter a single geth unit in the drive from Port Hanshan, to Peak 15. We parked the Mako, and headed into the main garage.
"Stack up!" Shepard and Garrus went left, and Wrex and I along with Liara went to the right of the door. Shepard reached over and hit the access button, opening the doors. As we entered, I could see the hulking figures of a Geth Juggernaut and a Geth Destroyer in the middle of the garage, along with three krogan. Geth troopers started coming out of the corridors, and busting out of crates that seemed to be everywhere. Shepard and Garrus took up positions for support, covering the rest of us with sniper fire. Liara was now using her SMG, laying down a field of fire with short, controlled bursts. Wrex and I… charged into the thick of it, blazing away. My leap carried me over the chaos, landing me squarely on the Juggernaut's back. I plunged my hand beneath the plates covering the geth's neck. My interface spikes attached themselves to the geth's hardwire.
"Nan iChir gelair!" I shouted, the geth Juggernaut's light turning from red to green. I back flipped off it as it turned on its former comrades. It took down several before a rocket put it out of commission. I launched two Reave fields, bringing two of the krogan to their knees as their vitals were drained, making them easy targets for my squadmates. I brought my rifle to bear on a group of geth floating in one of Liara's singularities, scorching armor and hardware.
"Ko'le!" Liara yelled out over the din. "The drone!"
I turned to see a geth repair drone above the Juggernaut, beginning to piece it back together. A warp field sent simultaneously by Liara and myself literally ripped it two. After a time, the garage fell quiet. Wrex was standing over the bodies of the krogan, sniffing.
"Did you know them?" I asked.
"No," Wrex answered. "That's the problem. I've never seen them before."
"Surely there are more of your people than that?" I inquired.
"Ko'le, I am 1300 years old. I have met just about every krogan that has left the homeworld. And if I haven't met them, I would recognize them by their clan's scent. Urdnots smell different than Gatatogs or Weyrlocs. I've never smelled these before. They are totally unknown to me."
I rolled one over, looking at the lifeless face. Then I walked over to the other.
"I have a very simple explanation, Urdnot Wrex."
"What?"
"Look at their faces. Tell me what you see."
"I don't underst…. Ancestors."
"What? What's wrong?" Shepard said, joining us.
"All three krogan in here have the same face, Shepard," I answered.
"Clones," Shepard said with a slightly awed whisper.
"So it would seem," Wrex said. "Tank-born. Well, this explains how Saren could have gotten so many krogan to help him: He made them."
"Come on, we've got to find Benezia," Shepard said.
We moved through the broken and wrecked labs, with no further contact with the geth. But as we entered one room, harsh and grating whispers filled my head.
Mother! WHERE is Mother! MOTHER! WHERE ARE YOU?! We're lost! We don't know what to do! MOTHER! MOTHER!
I winced and grabbed my head.
"Ko'le? What's wrong?" Liara said. Her question drew the attention of the rest of the squad.
"I…hear…something," I said. "Voices: in my head."
"Another Thorian?" asked Shepard.
I shook my head. "This is different. They are screaming… for… Mother."
"Mother?" wondered Liara.
"They almost sounds like… no, that's impossible..."
"What?" asked Shepard. "Tell us."
"Oravores," I said incredulously. "They were an insectoid swarm that controlled a large territory in my cycle. They have Brood-Mothers that rule the different Hives."
"They sound like Rachni," Wrex interjected.
"They are HERE!" I said suddenly, bringing my gun to bear on the lab corridor above us.
The two rachni soldiers burst out of one of the labs, charging straight for us, accompanied by swarms of the tiny crawlers.
"CEASE! WE SING THE FRIEND-SONG!" I shouted, speaking again in Prothean.
"WHERE IS MOTHER!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER?!" was the only response I received. My squad opened fire, bringing down the group in a hail of gunfire.
I knelt beside the bodies.
"This is wrong, Commander," I said sorrowfully.
"We had no choice, Ko'le," Shepard said, her voice full of concern and comfort.
"No. Not killing them. Something is wrong with them. Imagine a small child waking from a bad dream, and running to their parents' bedroom. That raw terror, that terrible need for your mother. That's how they are. I cannot imagine how they got separated from the Brood-Mother. She should be here to tell them what to do, to comfort them. They're just frightened, Shepard. Feral."
Pity was in the Commander's face. She reached out and stroked the dead Rachni in front of her.
"Not to rain on the moment, but is anyone else concerned that a long extinct race that nearly destroyed civilization as we know it has reappeared in the frozen ass-end of nowhere on Noveria?" Wrex asked.
"Binary Helix has a lot of questions to answer," Garrus said. "If they've brought back rachni, or oravtes…"
"Oravores," I corrected.
"…and they are feral, we can't let them escape this facility," Garrus continued.
"And why would Benezia come all this way?" Liara wondered.
"Maybe Saren is trying to breed rachni as his own private army," Garrus thought. "Maybe they've gotten loose, and Benezia is here to clean up the mess."
There's the detective.
"We'll get answers soon enough," Shepard said grimly.
We proceeded up the stairways, our feet crunching on the snow that had drifted in. We found the central control hub.
"We can probably get the answers we need from the records here," Garrus said.
"Power has been cut," Liara observed. "We have to re-route battery power."
"Let me see what I can do," I said, descending into the power source.
I saw the three panels, just like the game, and I saw a button on each of the three panels:
X, Y, B.
No…Surely not…
I reached over and typed the memorize Xbox combination into the control console.
XY, XB, YB, XY, BX, BY, XY, XB, YB, YX, BX, YB, XY, XB, YB.
And power *hummed back to life.
No way that that just happened….
"Power restored," said the VI that now appeared in front of us. "It looks like you are trying to restore this facility. Would you like some help?"
"Oh Nuts," Wrex said. "A VI helper. Just what we needed…"
"Some help would be great," Shepard said pointedly, looking at Wrex. "Who are you?"
"This interface has been programmed to respond to the name, 'Mira.' May ask, what is your name?"
"I'm Commander Shepard. I work for Citadel Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."
"One moment please… Council authority confirmed. You are entitled to Secure Access of all systems. Please note that all queries relating to corporate secrets require Privileged Access. Privileged Access is only available to Binary Helix Executives."
"I'm looking for Matriarch Benezia. Do you have any record of her arrival?"
"Lady Benezia departed on the passenger tramway to the Rift Station subsidiary labs."
The rest of the conversation went pretty much as expected: Shepard asking questions about the situation, and Mira simply saying that "that information requires Privileged Access." We split up to fix the landlines and reactor to get the tramway back in working order. Unlike the game, no more enemies, Rachni or geth, were encountered. As we were departing for the tramway, I suddenly paused and turned back to Mira, and inserted my interface spikes into the computer. Mira frizzed for a moment, then disappeared entirely.
"What are you doing?" asked Shepard.
"Hacking Binary Helix," I answered.
"Oh. Is that all?" Shepard asked, sarcasm dripping.
"Got it." I straightened up and walked down the hallway towards the trams.
"What? Seriously?"
"Shepard, you witnessed me hack a geth: a living creature. I think a corporate firewall should prove little challenge for me."
"I stand corrected. So what did you find out?" Shepard asked as we boarded the tram to take us to Rift Station.
"Binary Helix found a Rachni egg in a derelict ship floating in space," I said, accessing Mira's information. "They hatched it, and it was a Queen. She is at the Rift Station facility. The eggs she has laid since then have given birth to offspring completely loyal to her and only her. So the idiots decided to separate some of the eggs from the Mother to try and control the workers directly."
"Let me guess," Garrus said dryly. "That hasn't worked so well."
"No. The separated Rachni are swarming Rift Station, apparently searching for the Queen, who is in the Secure Labs. There are Binary Helix guards there at Rift Station, but Benezia has told them about terrorists that are looking to assassinate her. I do not recommend interaction with them, Commander. They will most likely not believe your credentials as a Council Spectre."
"Good call," said Shepard. "And Benezia?"
"12 Asari commandos and nine geth units remain with her. She is in the Secure Lab at the moment."
The tram slowed down to a stop. We exited and headed towards the Secure Labs. The pass that normally you would need to get from Dr. Cohen in the game was readily bypassed, using Mira's credentials that were now stored by me.
We descended down the elevator, until we reached the central lab. The Rachni Queen thrashed wildly in her glass cage, except it appeared to be soundproof, as we couldn't hear any noise she made. A lone asari in a dark robe stood in front of the cage, hand pressed against the glass.
"You do not know the privilege of being a mother." The sound Marina Sirtis' voice caught me off guard for a moment, and I looked for Counselor Troi, but only Matriarch Benezia stood before us. "There is power in creation. To shape a life. To turn it towards happiness or despair."
She turned to behold the Rachni Queen.
"Her children were meant to be ours. Raised to hunt and slay Saren's enemies."
Her eyes fell on Liara, and was torn by a look of supreme longing for a moment, replaced by hard scorn.
"I won't be moved by sympathy. No matter who you bring into this confrontation."
"Liara is here because she chose to be, Matriarch," Shepard said, with a respectful nod of her head.
Courteous and respectful, even to her enemies. And acknowledging her asari title… Impressive.
"She is not here by force or by coercion."
"Indeed?" Benezia's voice was hard and cold. "And what have you told her about me, Liara?"
"What could I say, Mother?" Liara's voice broke, tears only just below the surface. "That you're insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? What could I say?!"
"Have you ever faced an asari commando unit before?" Benezia asked, turning her attention away from her distraught daughter and to Garrus, Wrex, and I. "Few have and survived…"
Garrus only charged his sniper rifle in reply, and Wrex took out his second shotgun from behind his back.
"Girl," Wrex said, "I was boarding enemy warships when you were on your mother's knee. Your commandos don't mean shit to me."
Asari commandos dropped down from the ceiling, biotics charged to cushion their landing. Clad in black, with the symbol of House T'Soni emblazoned on their armor.
"Friends," said Liara, calling them by name. "Meros, Tela, Lilliana, please!" She drew her pistol, tears rolling down her cheek. "Don't make me do this…"
"Foolish girl!" Benezia snarled. "These are the servants of House T'Soni, and they answer only to me!"
No emotion played in the faces of the asari around us. Benezia charged her biotics and flung a giant stasis field at us. I threw up my own barrier, blocking the attack, tossing my weapon to Shepard, who caught it without a word. She and Wrex opened fire, scattering asari left and right. I charged forward, determined to take Benezia in close quarters. She seized her skirt and tore it open to reveal tactical leg-wear beneath the elegant gown.
Crap.
Two asari closed ranks in front of their mistress, pistols at the ready. I blitzed forward, catching the first one with a knee to the stomach. I grabbed her armor and used her as a shield for the two shots the second asari fired, both of them penetrating her back. I hurled her now-limp body at the second commando, who hesitated for just a second. Too long. I caught her in a clothesline, sending her toppling to the catwalk, her head impacting one of the guardrails with a sickening *crack. Benezia flared her biotics and strode towards me, sending a biotically-charged flurry of kicks and punches. I flared my own in response, blocking her attacks with ease.
Oh yeah. I know kung-fu, bitch.
I blocked a jab, grabbing Benezia's wrist and suddenly pulling her forward. I ducked under her other arm and suddenly had her in a reverse choke-hold. My eyes went white, as did hers.
Harken unto me.
I saw Councilor Tevos asking Benezia to find Saren and guide him back to the Council's will.
I saw Benezia and Saren… well, let's just say she used all of her assets to get into his good graces.
I saw her boarding Saren's flagship: Sovereign. And I heard the whispers in her mind: that constant high-pitched ringing that comes with boarding a live Reaper.
I saw her looking at the display of the attack on Eden Prime, a smile on her face as innocents were slaughtered.
I saw her willingly sacrifice her handmaiden Shiala to the Thorian, all to please her master: Sovereign.
I saw…
"CEASE! OR YOUR MISTRESS DIES!" I shout out. I look out and see that some of the asari have fallen, but the rest of them hesitate.
"I will not betray him," gasped out Benezia. "You will… You…"
Let me share the burden, Benezia. FIGHT HIM! BE THE CONTROLLER OF THY OWN FATE AGAIN!
"You must listen, Commander," Benezia said, the malice gone from her voice. "Saren still whispers in my mind. With your friend's help, I can resist his compulsions, but I fear that that might only be for a short while. The indoctrination is so strong..."
"Order your handmaidens to stand down," Shepard said.
"They are not mine to command anymore, Shepard, any more than I am. The key is Sovereign, Saren's flagship. It is a dreadnaught of incredible size and extraordinary power. The longer you stay on board, the more his words seem correct. I sat at his feet and smiled as his words poured into me."
"It is a common Reaper tactic, Commander," I added. "The strongest cannot resist a Reaper's will forever while directly on board."
"I thought I was strong enough at first," Benezia said, sorrowfully. "But its power is subtle. Instead of his redemption, I became his willing tool, eager to serve. He sent me here to find the location of Mu Relay."
"The Mu Relay? But that's been lost for hundreds of years!" Liara said, taking one of her mother's hands. Benezia squeezed it tightly, and a tear rolled down her face.
"The memories of the Rachni are passed on from mother to daughter, Queen to egg. I took the information from the Queen. I was… not gentle," she said, her voice full of shame. "I relayed it to Saren just before you came."
"Show me," I said, and our eyes went white.
I saw the galaxy, stars and comets wheeling by. I saw the exact location of the Mu Relay, the only path to the lost city of Ilos.
"Ilos!" I gasped.
"What is it?" asked Shepard and Liara, almost simultaneously.
"The Lost City of Ilos," Benezia said. "Saren longs to find it. He searches for it more diligently than any other goal. If I knew why, Shepard, I would tell you. I… I… I can't hold on much longer."
"She is slipping, Commander," I said, straining, eyes white. "Saren's hold over her is…too…strong."
"Mother! Don't give in! Fight him!" Liara screamed, desperately.
"I….love…you…Little Wing," Benezia gasped out. "Always… so…proud…" Then she suddenly clawed at my arm. "RELEASE ME!" The malice and hate were back, a hundredfold. I twisted right. Hard.
The sound of the snap was audible in the lab. The Matriarch's body went rigid one second, and then limp the next.
"NOOOO!" one of the commandos screamed, raising her rifle to shoot at me. A sniper round to the chest from Garrus brought an end to those plans. The few survivors screamed vengeance and fury, and closed in to avenge their mistress. Liara did not take any part in the second fight. She knelt at her mother's side, hand in hand, sobbing, even as gunfire erupted all around her. Shepard stood over her, even without cover, making sure no harm came to her. Between her wielding the Quarian Battle Rifle, Wrex's shotguns, Garrus' rifle, and my biotics, the fight did not last long.
When the last commando fell, Shepard immediately wrapped Liara in her arms, holding her as she sobbed into her shoulder. I turned to the Rachni Queen. The cage had been cracked in the fight. I saw one of her tendrils rear back and deliver a savage blow to the epicenter of the damaged glass. A tiny section of the cage broke away, shattering on the floor. I held up a hand to Wrex, who had fully ready to unload on the Queen.
One of the fallen asari slowly rose to her feet. Garrus and Wrex raised their weapons, ready for anything. Or so they thought.
"Our voice has been restored," the asari intoned, "The crystal that surrounded us silenced our song. But we would sing the Friend-Song with thee, if thou art willing."
"The hell?" wondered Wrex. Even Liara had ceased her sobbing to look at the source of the voice. She slowly stood, still being held by Shepard.
"It's the Queen," I explained. "She's speaking through the asari, because they don't the same kind of vocal chords we do." I strode forward, raising my right hand.
"I bring Songs and Chorus of Friendship to the Brood-Mother of the Oravores Swarm" I said, speaking in the High Tongue of Protea.
"Thou… know us by that name?"wondered the Queen/asari, speaking the same language.
"I am Ko'le, Seneschal of Protea, and Singer of the Void to Brood-Mother Chorus-of-Victory. Long have we slumbered, thee and I, but now we stand here, in the Chorus of Friendship."
"We hold the memories of Chorus-of-Victory," answered the Queen with wonder. "They speak of thee, Seneschal. We thought there were none that remembered the Oravores. We thought all remembered the discordant name of 'Rachni.'"
"What's she saying, Ko'le?" wondered Shepard.
"She wants to be friends," I answered. "What is thy name, Brood-Mother? Whose chorus of Life have I joined?"
"I am… Harmony-From-Chaos," answered the Queen, speaking the common tongue. "We are at thy mercy, Seneschal. The Rachni are feared, and have sung Death-Songs to the galaxy. But the Oravores Swarm sang the Friend-Song with the Empire. Which song shalt thee sing for us?"
"Thy words honor me, Harmony-From-Chaos, but thy fate does not rest with me. This is Commander Shepard, of the Citadel government. She shall decide thy song."
Shepard slowly came forward, passing the asari and staring directly at the Rachni Queen.
"Many of your children still wander this facility, putting my people's lives at risk. What can thee…you… do for them?"
"They are lost, and confused," answered the Queen. "I can sing the Mothering Song unto them. They will answer my call. They know their Mother, Shepard. Already do they harken unto my call. Already they desist from attacking thy people."
"And what will you do when you are released?" asked Shepard. "Will you bring war and death upon us, as your mothers did? Will you… sing the War-Songs?"
Well said.
"We will go to the corners of the galaxy, away from thy people and thy cities. We desire no more than to sing the Friend-Song with thee. But it will be Time before thy people are willing to join us in that chorus. Until then, I and my children shall hide, in shadow and solitude."
"You don't actually trust this thing to keep its word, Shepard?" asked Garrus. "Unleashing the Rachni on the galaxy again…"
"My people cleaned up the mess the first time around, Shepard," warned Wrex. "Don't make us have to do it again."
Shepard looked at them, and then at me. I stood expressionless, but my eyes moved to Liara and Benezia. Shepard followed my gaze, and then turned back to the Queen.
"I am not a monster, to wipe out a race from existence. Swear by the Seneschal to take your lost children with you and go, Harmony, and I will release you."
I took my place beside her and stretched out my hand, flaring my biotics. I also surrounded the Queen in green-black fields, and she answered,
"We swear the oath that the Oravores swore unto the Protheans: We shall sing the songs of War no more with thee or thy Peoples. The Seneschal bear witness."
"Witness borne," I said in answer, turning to Shepard. She nodded and typed in the command at the control code. The cage lifted slowly.
"I'm not ready to wipe out a whole people, Wrex," answered Shepard.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Shepard," grumbled Wrex.
"Hell, Shepard, I'll stand by you. I dunno about the Council, though."
"And I'll stand by you if this whole thing goes wrong."
Wrex grunted and nodded, seemingly satisfied.
"Harmony-From-Chaos," I said, before the cage reached the offload point. "I shall come to thee ere long. There is work to be done: work to fight against the Foul Notes of the Old Machines. Send me word, if thou art able."
"We shall, Seneschal. We remember and we honor the Void Treaty of Old."
"What's that you're saying to her, Ko'le?" Shepard said.
"Just telling her to be careful," I lied.
"She'll have to if she wants to avoid a galactic panic," said Garrus.
The cage off-loaded and Harmony-From-Chaos took one last look at us, then disappeared down the passageway. The asari collapsed, all visages of life gone. Shepard then turned back and hugged Liara again.
"There's been enough death today," she said.
Author's Note:
Thanks everybody! I know this chapter was a lot longer than other ones, so let me know if it was too long or if you liked these longer chapters as opposed to the 3000-4000 word ones. I appreciate all your PMs and reviews: all good words and it keeps me going. This story is for you all: Keep the feedback coming!
P.S.: A LOT of you have PM'ed me asking who Ko'le is going to end up paired with, or if I am going to pair him with anybody. And the truthful answer is: I don't really know yet. The story is developing organically, so it could really go any direction, honestly.
- Tusken1602
Reviewer Responses:
tylerbamafan34 – Those mistakes are going to come back to Ko'le before long.
Griffon2745 – Hope it lived up to your expectations.
LordGhostStriker – Damn. That is a good idea. Wish I had thought of it.
XRaiderV1 – Like it… Appreciate the soundtrack. :D
shugokage – Thanks! I loved writing them!
deathnight999 – Thanks! I've considered Tali as a romanic interest, just trying to run with all the different possibilities to see how the different pairings might affect the storyline.
Cf96 – thanks! I just wanted Ko'le to have an unique weapon.
ChaosRonin – It's possible… weighing the pros and cons of a FemShep/OC pairing
Heavy1825 – Glad I could give you some entertainment…
