Time: 500 BCE
Location: Prothean Ruins, Phosom
War. War never changes. Not even for the salarians.
Before the discovery of the Citadel, the cold business of assassination and espionage were the specialties of the League of One, an elite group of twelve salarian operatives capable of blending in amongst anyone, infiltrating any defense… and eliminating any target with lethal precision. A special, ornate medallion was the only way to identify any one of its members. But this band of brothers baptized in blood was no match for backroom politics.
When the Salarian Union joined the asari in forming the Citadel Council, they declassified the activities of the League of One as a show of good faith towards their new partners. With their cover exposed, the League exacted revenge upon the inner cabinet before they fled and dropped off the grid. The Special Tasks Group was ordered to take them down. Yet even after sending in a team of hunters and ten of their best military minds, the STG failed to bring them any of the operatives to justice. Only recently have the fates of some finally come to light.
Though if he had his way, one might have preferred to remain anonymous…
The mineral wealth of the planet Phosom was still unknown when Jannud Teche set down upon its surface. A survivalist, his plan was to live off the land and lay low until his trail went cold before leapfrogging to the next hospitable planet. As the rations he brought with him dwindled to nothing, Jannud gathered a cache of edible roots and plants, identified fauna that could serve as viable sources of protein, set up shelter and built a solar still to gather and purify a supply of fresh drinking water. A hard, punishing existence for most, but performing the impossible was the hallmark of the League of One. Reviewing his accomplishments over a flame-roasted beast, Jannud had accounted for every need and difficulty.
Except for a nasty twist of fate.
A Richter 6 earthquake roused Jannud from his sleep. Rocks and boulders began to cascade down the hillside he made his home upon. Gathering whatever supplies and food he could, he barely escaped the shelter with his life, watching the rest of his labors get buried in seconds. Once the tremors subsided, Jannud set out to find a new, more stable location to hang his hat.
The quake had opened up a passageway Jannud overlooked in his initial survey of the landscape. He ventured inside the mysterious and foreboding hole to make the discovery of a lifetime: the remains of an underground prothean complex! Carefully scanning his surroundings for security systems or other dangers, he looked for any materials that he could put to use. There were crates and tubes with unreadable markings, observation rooms, empty stasis pods and a few cages with fossilized non-humanoid remains. Nothing he could readily utilize except the complex itself: a new, more robust shelter that offered protection from predators, the elements and earthquakes. He chose the tidiest observation room he could find to set up his gear and then set off to replenish his inventory.
Archaeologists with expertise in prothean antiquity would one day point out that the complex Jannud made his new home in was fact an old laboratory. A laboratory used for the investigation of infectious diseases.
And some of the bugs examined there had an extremely long shelf life.
A few days after moving in, Jannud began feeling ill and any blockage he may have suffered before was no longer an issue. At first he likely dismissed it as a bad batch of plants or undercooked meat, gone over with his omni-tool scanner repeatedly to ensure they were free of any germs.
Any known germs.
In humans, the backdoor backfire commonly known as diarrhea are caused by rotoviruses. It's believed that the expulsive symptoms are efforts to rid the body of these viruses. With steady re-hydration and medical treatment, most victims recover completely. Janud had apparently contracted a very potent form of rotovirus. His intestinal tract was soon reduced to nothing more than a tube; everything that went in one end came out the other in no time. Any medicine he brought with him was lost in the quake, not that it would have done him much good. The constant loss of water and nutrients made it harder for Jannud to think straight and maintain basic hygiene. His time, his lunch and his insides were running out.
There was one last hope: the transponder on his shuttle. He could use it to signal for help but this would alert any enemies of the League of One to his presence as well. It was a grave decision for Jannud: should he accept his fate and preserve the honor of the League? Or reach out and risk capture? Either possibility could be his end.
Weighing his options, Jannud ultimately decided that health outweighed honor and, with the little constitution he had, staggered out to his hidden shuttle. It was a long way to go to reach it. He probably should've turned around and gone back, seeing that he'd conveniently left himself a trail to follow. But he took his chances with the dice and rolled craps. Honor would be preserved after all.
The cause or personal well-being; what's worth more to a soldier? It all depends, but one fact is inescapable even in the fog of war:
Underwear. Underwear always needs changing.
Way #1941: The Halls of Montezuma's Revenge
Author's Note: The salarian League of One and the Special Tasks Group come from the Mass Effect codex. Side quests in the first game include finding medallions of some of the League operatives.
