Dr. Okeer. Millennia of combat and strategic experience. Rumored familiarity with Collector technology.

A brilliant and brutal krogan warlord who fought in the Krogan Rebellions, Dr. Okeer has become obsessed with saving the krogan people from the genophage and is believed to have contacted the Collectors in an attempt to gain technology to that end. He is currently in a Blue Suns camp on Korlus, though the nature of his relationship with the mercenary group is unknown.

Miranda sat in her office, staring at her screen as she tried to write up her report to The Illusive Man. For the third time, she brought up an image from the port cargo hold cameras, staring at the tube there. She was distracted, and not just because she didn't exactly have good news. They had a krogan on board now, but not the one they were looking for. Oh, and Shepard was swinging back and forth between impressive and bloody terrifying.

Shepard had a variety of perfectly logical reasons for wanting to go to Korlus first. It was a shorter jaunt from their current position than Omega, so they might as well go there along the way, and while Mordin Solus was a brilliant scientist, Okeer had actually had contact with the Collectors. Although in the end, he had claimed he didn't know anything about the colony abductions.

All perfectly legitimate points and Miranda wasn't buying any of them. Not for the first time, she cursed the Illusive Man for not allowing her to implant something into Shepard's brain that would allow them to have at least a modicum of control over her behavior and keep her on track for their mission.

At first, she would have chalked Shepard choosing to go for the krogan over suggestions otherwise up to simple defiance of her and the Illusive Man. But after studying how Shepard avoided talking about the recruitments in that particular area, she now thought it might be much more simple than that.

Shepard was afraid of Omega.

And why was that? Miranda couldn't help but wonder. Psychology was not her best point, but Shepard's avoidance of Omega clearly traced back to the blank period between the destruction of Mindoir and when she'd appeared on Earth and murdered two members of a slaving ring before turning herself in. So much of what Shepard was traced back to that period, and there was little to no information on her activities during that time. If they were taking her back into an area that had such an adverse effect on her, Miranda would have felt much better knowing why that was. The better to observe and take action to protect their investment. It was possible the Illusive Man knew more than he had told her, in which case Miranda was even more frustrated. They still had no idea what the long term effects of waking her up so early would be. Physically, she was progressing well, but Miranda was having serious doubts about her mental capabilities.

The asari they'd come across on the way to Okeer's lab, for example. Thanoptis. She knew the name from reports on Saren's attempt to cure the genophage and create a krogan army. She'd spoken to Shepard with familiarity, defending her presence there by stating she wasn't wasting the second chance Shepard had given her. She was designing mental imprinting for Okeer's tank bred krogan. She'd surprised them by informing them Okeer wasn't, in fact, trying to find a cure for the genophage but what he was doing, she wasn't sure. Then she had moved toward the door, obviously well aware of how Shepard worked and having no intention of sticking around. Shepard had not tried to stop her, watching her walk to the door, her head cocked on one side almost quizzically.

Then she'd shot her in the back of the head.

Miranda had, unfortunately, been at just the right angle to see the asari's face explode outward before she hit the ground. Jacob had yelled in shock and even Kasumi had jumped, startled. Shepard had turned away from the asari's body and their incredulous stares to continue on to the lab, appearing completely unperturbed and apparently not feeling the need to explain why she'd just gunned down a defenseless woman in cold blood.

She should have known. Shepard had been almost single-mindedly focused on the mission since they'd left the old Normandy's crash site, even if she wasn't immediately going in the direction Miranda thought the most logical. Kasumi Goto was a good influence over her, they responded well to each other. Too well, in fact, as they shared a sense of humor Miranda found annoying. Still, she thought seeing Shepard laughing with honest humor was a good sign.

She should have known better than to assume Shepard's emotions had evened out completely. She'd been fine when they arrived at the Blue Suns base Okeer had been hiding in, making fun of the hysterical commands coming over the loudspeakers from the Blue Suns commander, leading the way up to the lab and taking down enemies with all the skill that they could have hoped for. It was only a matter of time before one of the quirks manifested itself, like her hearing going strange as it had on the Citadel and on and off since Alchera.

But even if she'd been expecting it, gunning Thanoptis down that way was a move was so out of character for Shepard, it was alarming. But Miranda had not had time to try and question her, because Okeer had been waiting for them.

Miranda looked at the tube in the cargo hold again.

She couldn't count the number of krogan rejects from Okeer's lab that they had taken out on their way to disable the Blue Suns and take out Commander Jedore; the price demanded by the krogan scientist for his cooperation. Any other day, this would not have bothered Miranda. Getting that idiotic bitch to stop her babbling over the loudspeakers would have been worth killing a hundred krogan, in her estimation. Okeer had been playing Jedore and the Blue Suns. Oh, he'd been giving them a krogan army: bred in tanks in his lab like Saren's army had been, given rudimentary education via Thanoptis's learning programs, and sent off to be fodder for the Blue Suns. But that hadn't been his goal, nor, as the asari had said, was curing the genophage. No, those tank bred krogan had been sacrificed in the name of Okeer's true goal, which now rested in that tube in the cargo hold.

Perfection. How many krogan had he created? Hundreds? Thousands? And of all of them, this was the only one he thought had any value. Centuries of browbeating his people and selling them out to the Collectors until the krogan on Tuchanka couldn't stomach it anymore and sent him away. Centuries of perfecting his methods and research all for this one single krogan as his legacy. This one bred from the genes up and educated before it even woke to be perfect, to revitalize the krogan race.

Miranda glanced at the screen again and dropped her gaze to her hands. They were beautiful hands, slim and capable with long, tapered fingers. They did the work of a scientist with the grace of an artist. The perfect hands to carry out the workings of an extraordinary mind.

I already created you with the tools for perfection, a voice whispered from her memories. You have every advantage. You have no excuse not to make use of them.

Would this krogan be everything Okeer worked for? They had no way of knowing until Shepard decided whether or not she was going to wake him up. Was he this perfect warrior? Her own little hands could shoot a mech's head off from 100 yards, her human mind could crush it with her biotics. She was smarter, more accomplished, healed faster, would probably live longer. Would this perfect krogan be capable of the same?

And standing between them was Miranda's greatest accomplishment: a woman she had literally brought back from the dead. A woman born from a drug addict and a criminal, whose biotic abilities and hell, even her training, had come from pure circumstance...who the Illusive Man had poured billions of credits into bringing back.

Scowling, Miranda shook herself away from her thoughts, pushing back and typing up a terse, to the point report for her boss. Okeer dead, the Blue Suns scattered, they were waiting for Shepard to decide on the creature's fate, and most likely were headed to Omega next. She added some choice words on Shepard's visible reluctance to go there, backed by Kelly's observations, and sent it through, stretching to get the kinks out of her neck.

She was about to get up when a soft alarm she'd asked EDI to give her went off and she looked at the port cargo hold screen again. She started swearing under her breath. "Dammit, Shepard."

So many of her friendships started out like this.

Shepard had a second to reflect on this as she recovered from the initial shock of watching the krogan in the tube stumble to the floor to being slammed up against the wall like a rag doll with an arm across her throat a second later. Gray eyes started into pale blue...she'd never seen blue eyes on a krogan.

"Human. Female," Okeer's perfect tank baby rumbled at her. "Before you die, I need a name."

When you're up close and personal with one of us, Shepard, you go for the head or one of the hearts. Taking out one heart won't kill, but it'll slow him down. Wrex's voice echoed through her head as she cocked the pistol in her hand and shifted it so the muzzle was aimed at a spot on the krogan's chest, just beneath his arm. And hoped, for Wrex and his people's sake, that she didn't have to use it.

"Shepard. Commander Shepard," she managed to choke out.

"Not your name. Mine," the krogan said with a hint of impatience. "I am trained. I know things, but the tank...Okeer couldn't implant connection. His words are hollow." There was a strange flicker in his eyes that Shepard recognized all too well. "Warlord, legacy, grunt. "Grunt" was among the last. It has no meaning. It'll do."

Shepard felt hysterical laughter bubble up through her and bit it back, wondering what Okeer would have thought of that. The krogan focused on her once more. "I am Grunt. If you are worthy of your command, prove your strength and try to destroy me."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, striving for intimidation. Not easy to do when your breath was whistling out of your throat. "You want me to kill you?" Well, try to, but there was no reason to let him know that.

Grunt narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Want? I do what I am meant to- fight and reveal the strongest. Nothing in the tank ever asked what I want." He shook his head. "I feel nothing for Okeer's clan or his enemies. That imprint failed. He has failed. Without a reason that is mine, one fight is as good as any other. Might as well start with you."

Shepard bared her teeth in a grin, which clearly startled the young krogan. "Can't argue with that logic. Nice and simple and we'll all go out in a blaze of glorious pointlessness. Okeer would turn over in his grave if anyone bothered to bury him."

"Okeer is just a voice in the tank. If his imprints are true, then he created something stronger than him. So he's not worthy of me."

I can't believe Okeer didn't see that one coming, Shepard thought.

"And if his hatreds aren't strong enough to compel me, they've failed, too," Grunt continued. "I feel nothing. I have no connection."

Shepard locked eyes with him again. "Killing with a purpose always trumps pointless killing, in my experience." Or, at least, it had once. "I have a good ship and a strong crew...strong clan. You'd make it stronger."

The krogan mulled this over for a moment. "If you're weak and choose weak enemies, I'll have to kill you."

"Naturally. Although don't worry about the weak enemies, trust me on that."

The krogan considered her words again. "Hmph. That's...acceptable. I'll fight for you."

"Good." Shepard deliberately glanced down to draw his attention to the pistol pressed against his armor.

Now it was Grunt's turn to grin as he released her and stepped back. "Ha! Offer one hand, but arm the other. Wise, Shepard."

"Learned it from a krogan." Good old Wrex, bless his violent, cantankerous heart. She'd learned more about the krogan in a few months with him than she had in years.

"If I find a clan, if I find what I...I want, I will be honored to eventually pit them against you," Grunt said.

Shepard nodded, taking that for the compliment it was.

Grunt seemed content to settle in the cargo hold, climbing back into his tank to rest as Shepard left. Despite her aching throat, she was well pleased. The thought of working with Okeer had not been one she was looking forward to. She was ready to turn her back on the Illusive Man before she'd turn her back on him, which was a sobering thought.

Now Grunt, on the other hand...

Grunt was definitely a wild card at the moment but hot damn if he couldn't be one hell of an asset. It was just a matter of making sure he killed the right people and learned when was the right time to do it.

Miranda was waiting for her, her expression one of cold disapproval. Before she could speak, Kasumi appeared out of nowhere, shutting down the cloaking device that hid her. "Well, that was interesting..."

Miranda blinked, clearly surprised she hadn't realized Kasumi was there. The thief truly was amazing, the only reason Shepard wasn't surprised was because Kasumi had told her she was keeping an eye on her before she'd gone in to wake Grunt. "Well, we've got the krogan equivalent of a hormone crazed teenager on the ship, so that's one word to describe it."

"This place gets more and more interesting every day," Kasumi said cheerfully.

Shepard returned her attention to Miranda, still walking. She really didn't want to talk to the Cerberus operative about...anything, at the moment, really. She resorted to an overwhelming pre-emptive strike, speaking calmly: "I can't think of a better place to test him out than Omega, don't you agree?"

Miranda looked at her, an odd, almost mocking gleam in her eyes, giving Shepard the impression she knew exactly what she was up to. "Whatever you think best. Commander."

"We can pick up this merc the Illusive Man was all fired up about, and the Professor and the vigilante while we're at it."

"That Archangel character sounds the most interesting out of the lot, honestly," Kasumi commented. Miranda threw her a sharp look, eyes narrowed, then glared at Shepard, who shrugged. She had not given Kasumi access to the dossiers for the people they were recruiting but she wasn't surprised Kasumi had a hold of them. She guessed Miranda still had not learned she would have to resign herself to Kasumi pretty much getting anything in the ship's databases that struck her fancy because beyond EDI, Shepard was pretty sure no one could stop her. That's what you got for hiring a master thief, she supposed. Although granted, Kasumi had her own particular brand of ethics, a distinct sense of right and wrong even if didn't align itself with the law's.

"Too bad you couldn't find out more about him," Kasumi continued. "I mean, a guy who shows up on Omega and starts attacking the gangs? And winning?"

"Such a person would undoubtably need to keep his anonymity," Miranda said stiffly. "That's why he's one of the few people who we don't have a proper background on."

"You couldn't find Garrus, either," Shepard reminded her, turning toward the elevator. "Though that doesn't really surprise me. Stubborn, contrary, turian bastard."

Kasumi started to laugh. "Awww, that's so cute, Shep."

Shepard paused, turning to look at her. Miranda shook her head and strode away, looking disgusted with both of them. "What?"

Kasumi grinned at her. "You miss him."

Shepard started with a sharp reply, checked herself, and had to smile because that was certainly true. "God, you have no idea."

Shepard sat on the couch in her quarters later, gazing silently across the room at the water in the fish tank. She didn't have any fish and wasn't sure she wanted any. The idea of a bunch of creepy little eyes staring at her all the time made her twitchy. Or maybe that was just her permanent state of mind these days.

She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples. There you go, Rana. I blew your brains out because I was feeling twitchy. That's rough.

Perhaps what was most disturbing was she wasn't even particularly bothered by the fact she had killed the asari. It was the fact she hadn't thought about it. She vaguely remembered thinking it was perhaps dangerous to Wrex to have someone like her running around and if she had truly wanted to make amends, she could have offered her knowledge to the krogan on Tuchanka. It had truly been on impulse that she'd brought her gun up.

Shepard pressed her fingers against her temples harder and squeezed her eyes shut until she saw gray. She had put on a good front for Miranda, though how much she had fooled the woman, she couldn't say.

Omega.

The name almost seemed to sting her brain. The last time she'd been there seemed a hundred years ago. Running from her father, herself, and the knowledge everything he'd ever told her was a lie. That he'd been funding a slaver selling children for sex and she had unwittingly helped him do it. Christ, she'd been even more of a mess then than she was now, focused with hysterical energy on taking down the main financiers of that slaving ring. She'd been caught in a rage by it, had taken joy in it. She'd taken a few of them down, not all of them, but perhaps it was a blow that had helped weaken and eventually break it. She knew it had because Wrex had told her, he'd played a part in taking it down completely.

Wrex...the krogan in general, even the worst of them...did not take kindly to people who hurt children. Probably came from having your race sterilized.

In those days, gunning someone down on impulse had been almost second nature to her.

Disturbed by that thought, Shepard opened her eyes. It was like her resurrection and working with Cerberus had stripped a vital layer away from her. Like she was caught between the hate filled child that had torn her way through the Terminus Systems in a violent frenzy and the soldier that had emerged years later. She didn't know if she was intrigued or frightened by it.

She wasn't in any state to face Omega again, but there was no time to ease into it. She had no idea if she would ever be ready to face Omega again. So she would just have to go anyway.

They could put it off a little while more- there was one other person off of Omega to recruit -but what was the point? Omega was only a short jaunt away and they had three people there to recruit. Plus, she had been perfectly serious about it being a fine place to give Grunt a test run, as it were.

She had no excuse, none at all. Shepard drew in a deep breath, reaching down into whatever pool of strength rested inside her, wrapping it around herself and shoving back the nightmares and doubts into a confined space in the back of her mind. It was time to face Omega.

The batarian stared impassively at the figure in the chair before him. The turian was tied up, slumped over in the chair, his head hanging, too exhausted to even be afraid anymore. The leathery green skin of his neck, around the back of his head and beneath his eyes was mottled with bruises and his clothing hid the other hurts that had been inflicted. At first glance, it seemed impossible to hurt a turian too much with brute force, what with all the plating, but any gang in Omega knew the right places to hit someone in order to inflict maximum pain, as this unfortunate turian had found out. There was no permanent damage. Fear had been an even more potent weapon than pain.

The batarian nodded to a human in blue armor that matched his, who brought a handheld comm up to the turian. He gave them a number in a hoarse voice and the human punched it in. Everyone in the room drew in a collective breath as they waited, a stir of excitement going through them when a voice answered. The turian cleared his throat. "G-Garrus?"

"Sidonis? Are you all right?"

For a moment, the turian stirred and seemed ready to pull away from the comm, guilt and misery in every line of his body. The batarian stepped into his view and silently held a long tool up, the haft of it settled against his palm. He clicked a button and a long, thick needle emerged from the base, sparking with electricity. The batarian smiled as a shudder tore through the turian. It seemed he wasn't beyond fear after all. "I need you to drop whatever it is you're doing and come meet me..."