We will Rise

By Spectre4hire

Chapter Nine: Trust

Tuchanka…

Shepard had only been on the krogan homeworld for two days, and he would be thankful if he never had to come back. During his short stay, he only had to fight packs of rabid varren, klixen, a thresher maw, and a small army of Blood Pack mercenaries.

Now, thankfully, his time on the planet was at an end. The rest of his squad already returned to the Normandy, but not him. There was still one thing he had to do before he took the shuttle back to the ship. He had to speak with his friend—Wrex.

As Shepard waited for him to arrive, he thought back to why he was requesting this private audience with his friend. It was during his mission to help Mordin that Shepard discovered a startling revelation. The Professor's former colleague—Maelon had been working extensively on trying to find a cure for the genophage. He wasn't there yet, but he was closer than anyone has been since Saren.

It had been thought that Maelon was a captive of Clan Weyrloc, held against his will, but when it was revealed that he was actually a willing participant, Mordin had been visibly shaken. In his anger, he had even tried to kill Maelon, but Shepard had stopped him. Mordin tried to justify his actions, but his words weren't as forceful as they had once been, his tone no longer held the same confidence. And Shepard knew why—the test subjects.

Mordin had been unable to comprehend the waste of life. To Shepard, he thought Mordin was being a bit naïve in being surprised that female krogan would willingly volunteer for these brutal experiments. He had been unable or unwilling to see the ramifications that the genophage was having on the supposed 'innocent' krogan. When he talked about the genophage and his work, he had never stopped to think on how the others would react. Mordin had never considered that infertile female krogan would sacrifice their health, their bodies, and their life just at the glimmer of hope that they may be part of a cure.

This was why Shepard remained on Tuchanka while the others had gone back to the Normandy. He wanted to discuss what had happened to Clan Weyrloc and Maelon's research with Wrex. When he first broached the subject of speaking to Wrex, the krogan suggested to just speaking with him now at the dais. Shepard had to delicately decline. This was a very sensitive topic and it needed to be spoken in private. This wasn't a conversation that Shepard could afford to be eavesdropped.

Even as he waited, Shepard couldn't help but wonder if he was making the right decision. He understood the importance that this conversation may have; with ramifications that would be felt throughout the galaxy. As he waited, the memories of Virmire began to resurface. It was there that he had chosen to destroy the facility when it became known Saren had not only cured the genophage but was breeding an army of krogan.

If Shepard was honest with himself, he would admit his choice to take down the facility had less to do about the genophage and more about stopping Saren. It had to do with not trusting these krogan, who would serve under Saren's banner. This was different. This time the krogan wouldn't be tools to be used whether it was by Saren, the salarians, or the Council. Under proper leadership, Shepard was confident that the krogan could rebuild and reenter galactic politics. To Shepard the proper leadership was Wrex.

Despite his bloody and controversial history, Shepard was not going to condemn an entire species to extinction. He wouldn't do it with the rachni, and he was not going to do it with the krogan. While the civilized species in the galaxy had no qualms in continuing to keep the krogan down, it was the Butcher of Torfan who wanted to save them.

Shepard understood that his friendship with Wrex still didn't make what he was about to say any easier. This wasn't the first time that the two friends held a very important conversation about the krogan and the genophage. On Virmire, the two friends nearly came to blows in how to best handle the revelation that Saren had successfully cured the genophage. Shepard had no doubt that in the end; it was his friendship with Wrex and the trust that the two had built that caused Wrex to begrudgingly agree that the base needed to be destroyed.

Trying to relax his own nervousness at this pending conversation, Shepard focused on the room he was in. Well, if you could call this ruined room he was in a room. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed; chunks of the wall were missing, giving Shepard a good view of not just Urdnot's camp, but beyond to the ruined city and radioactive rubble stretching out to a vast, desolate wasteland. The floor was riddled with debris, not to mention the occasional bloodstain smears with some looking a bit too fresh for Shepard's liking. The room was bare of all furniture save for a workbench in the corner and a table made of stone which was anchored in the middle of the room.

"Shepard."

"Wrex."

"Sure you can't stay, Shepard?" Wrex asked, clapping him on the back when he walked past. "You've only been here a few days and you've already weakened one rival clan and practically destroyed another!"

The reminder of Shepard's clash against Clan Weyrloc when trying to liberate Maelon prompted him to ask about the clan's fate and its survivors, who were mostly non-combatants.

"Urdnot is taking in their women, and children, further bolstering our numbers."

Good, Shepard thought, unable to have asked for a better solution to present itself. He looked up to see Wrex was standing on the other side of the table, placing a box on top of it.

"This is for you, Shepard." Wrex tapped the small box with his fist.

Shepard hid his immediate surprise, "Aw, Wrex, you shouldn't have." Pleased, that Wrex took the ribbing with a chortle. He brought his attention back to the box, picking it up to examine it. He was not only curious at the idea of Wrex getting him a gift, but also what his friend would consider a good gift to be.

"It's meant to be opened."

Ignoring his friend's feigning impatience, and not needing any further encouragement, Shepard removed the lid of the box to see inside was a Death Mask. The famous battle helmets of the krogan.

"As a thank you, Shepard, for your work with my clan," Wrex said, "None of this would've been possible if it wasn't for you."

"Thanks, Wrex," Shepard said, sincerely thankful for the gift and the thought behind it. He tentatively picked up the helmet from its box, his eyes instantly going to the mask's trademark vertical slits for the eyes that gave off an ominous reddish glow. The head-crest between the slits was also red while the rest of the helmet was coated in black. "This…this is great."

"Good," Wrex said bluntly, but Shepard was sure the krogan sounded pleased that he liked the gift. "I had to have it custom made for your head. It was a pain in the ass."

"It's appreciated, Wrex," Shepard replied, still smiling. The Death Masks were a very famous or infamous kind of battle helmet depending on who you asked, that could be found throughout the galaxy for any number of species, but its design and origins can be traced back to the krogan on Tuchanka. Its unique and ominous look served as a good intimidating factor for them on the battlefield.

Inspecting the Death Mask, Shepard noticed two distinct patches on either side of the Death Mask. One he instantly recognized as the famous N7 logo, but the other he wasn't too sure. He ran his thumb along it, drawing Wrex's attention to it as well.

"That is for Clan Urdnot," Wrex explained. "Let it serve as reminder of your friendship with Clan Urdnot, and a warning to your enemies."

He wasn't an expert on the krogan, but Shepard understood the importance and the unprecedented achievement he accomplished, of being a human and bearing a krogan clan insignia. "I still can't stay, Wrex."

"Ha!" Wrex barked out. "By making you the tip of Clan Urdnot, Shepard, we could have all of Tuchanka inside a month."

"I know," Shepard said, "but, I have to leave something for you to do."

"Yeah, yeah," said a resigned Wrex. "I'm stuck playing politician, and you get to go off and save the galaxy again."

"You'll manage."

"So what's this about, Shepard?" Wrex asked, his lips curved into a smile when he added. "Do you need directions to the female camp?"

Shepard groaned at his friend's reference to the lone mating request he received after he helped Grunt kill that thresher maw. "No, that's not it."

"Too bad," Wrex said his smile intact. "Once you've been with a krogan female it's hard to go back."

"Uh-huh," Shepard said, not wanting or needing the image of mating krogan in his head. He ran a hand through his short, dark hair to see Wrex's amusement had been lifted and the krogan was watching him with a more pensive look.

"So were you able to rescue the salarian from the Blood Pack?"

"Yes, we were," Shepard answered, deciding not to clarify that Maelon hadn't been a captive, but a willing participant. "That's actually why I wanted to speak with you."

"Oh?" But Wrex didn't look too surprised.

In seeing Wrex's reaction, Shepard remembered what Maelon had said, that he had went to Wrex, but he had refused because Maelon needed krogan subjects to study. It caused him to wonder if his friend already knew what Maelon was trying to accomplish. "He was using the females of Clan Weyrloc as test subjects."

Wrex didn't speak. His eyes never left Shepard's, undeterred, by the silence or the krogan's stony expression, Shepard continued. "He was trying to cure the genophage."

Again, Wrex gave no reply. His face surprisingly remained impassive, the only reaction or movement from him was with his hands when he placed them on the table.

His no reaction further solidifying Shepard's suspicion that Wrex may have already known what Maelon was up to.

Finally, he spoke. "Why are you telling me this, Shepard?"

This was it, Shepard thought, the point of no return. "I'm telling you this because Maelon is closer than anyone has been to curing the genophage since Saren on Virmire."

Wrex's hands clenched the edge of the table. "Did you destroy his data too?"

Shepard, who had cradling his gift from Wrex, put it on the table. "No, I have the data."

"What are you going to do with it?" Wrex asked, leaning forward, leveling his gaze on Shepard.

"Mordin-"

Wrex didn't let him finish, exploding in a fit of anger, he slammed his fists into the table with so much force; he further cracked the stone causing clouds of dust to mushroom between the two. "The fate of my people depends on that data!"

Shepard didn't blink at Wrex's outburst instead he tried to placate him. "I know that."

"Then hand over that information!"

"I can't do that," Shepard tried to explain. "Not yet."

"Quit jerking me around, Shepard," he growled, dropping his hands from the table. He walked around the table, but didn't give Shepard a second glance, walking across the room, stopping where he reached the crumbled wall that allowed a glimpse of the Urdnot base camp below.

"For more than a thousand years my people have been punished, Shepard. The genophage turned my once proud people into animals, who squabble over a pile of rubble." He let out a deep rumbling sigh. "My people have no future as long as the genophage exists."

"I agree," Shepard admitted, knowing he surprised Wrex when the krogan turned in his direction. "I can't give you the information now, Wrex, but I will, I promise."

"When?" Wrex demanded.

"Soon," he answered. "Mordin just wants to—"

"Sabotage it!" Wrex accused, "That damn pyjack is—"

"No," Shepard interrupted with enough force to silence the krogan. "I wouldn't allow that."

"Then why won't you give me that data?"

"And do what with it?" Shepard challenged. He came up alongside his friend. "I might be new to Tuchanka, so maybe I missed its laboratories."He pointed down below. "Last I checked all you have are warriors. You have no doctors, no scientists. If I give you the data what are you going to do with it? Do you even have a fucking terminal to use to upload the information?"

Wrex bristled at this. "Don't sell my people short."

"I'm not," Shepard said, before amending, "But don't sell our friendship short either."

"I don't like this." Wrex admitted, rubbing his head-plate in thought. "I'm not sure I can trust that salarian."

"Then trust me," Shepard replied, "Because I want the genophage cured to."

A lull of silence fell on the two friends. Shepard snuck a glance over to see Wrex looked to be deep in thought. His red eyes looked down at the camp below, but he didn't need to turn his head to meet Shepard's stare. "I do trust you."

Shepard let loose the breath he didn't know he was holding. Pleased and thankful that Wrex once more was placing the trust of his people's future in Shepard's hands. "Thank you, Wrex. Mordin will examine Maelon's work, and also promised to use some of his contacts with STG for further analysis."

Wrex gave an instinctive snarl at the mention of the STG. "You know the other species aren't going to like this," he pointed out. "What do you think the Council is going to say?"

"When have I been one to care what the Council thinks, Wrex?"

"HA!" Wrex clapped him on the back. "I'm glad you're back."

"Protests continue to gather around the Shepard Memorial Flame. Security has increased on Torfan as the protestors have tried to extinguish the flame, but all attempts have been rebuffed. Per Admiral Hackett's orders, no arrests have been made and the Alliance has denied to comment."

Shepard sighed. The commander was alone in his cabin. He sat behind his desk, the source of the voice coming from his terminal, as the screen displayed the full story of the unrest at Torfan. He forcibly exited out of the page, cutting off the voice before it could go any further. He wasn't surprised that people were protesting at Torfan. They had been voicing their displeasure at what happened on that moon, since it first happened all those years ago.

The doors of his cabin opened with a swoosh, cutting off his thoughts from going any further.

"Shepard?"

He turned in his chair to greet his guest. It was Shiala. She looked troubled, standing on the threshold of his doorway. "Please come in, Shiala."

"Thank you, Shepard," she said, stepping into his room. The green skinned asari's attention shifting to the fish tank, and the plethora of diverse fish that were currently inhabiting it.

Ever since Kelly had volunteered to look after and feed his fish when Shepard was away, his fish tank was no longer a watery tomb, but a thriving underwater community for more than a handful of different variety of fish.

"Is something wrong?"

She took her eyes off of the fish and towards him. "I think I've made a terrible mistake, commander."

"What do you mean?"

"I never should have come with you on this mission," she confessed, wringing her hands in front of her.

"What are you talking about?" asked a perplexed Shepard. He had only taken her on a handful of missions, but she had excelled each time; her weapons training and her biotic ability made her a deadly force on the battlefield.

"I made an irrational decision by joining you," she said, putting her back against the glass tank. "I was so desperate in trying to find my purpose, that I may have endangered all of you."

Shepard swiveled his chair around so that he was facing her. "You're not making any sense, Shiala."

"The Thorian."

"What about it?" he shrugged. He remembered killing the ancient fauna back on Feros.

"I can still feel its affect," she tried to explain. She closed her eyes, a flicker of pain flittered over her face. "It's not as strong as when it was alive, but it's just as potent."

This didn't surprise Shepard. He remembered her telling him this back on Illium. "You already told me this."

"I know," she said, bringing her fingers to her temple. "It's stronger now, and it's affecting my biotics."

That was reason to be concerned, Shepard thought to himself, "How so?"

"They're becoming increasingly unstable," she answered. "I have to exert a tremendous amount of strength and will for just a basic biotic attack."

He remained quiet, studying the distressed green skinned asari in front of him. He could see the pain in her countenance, the fear in her eyes. Noticing this reaction, he wondered if there was more to Shiala's concerns than just her unstable biotics and her unique connection with the Thorian.

"You know I volunteered myself to the Thorian," she revealed, with a shake of her head, looking and sounding uncomfortable. "I was a willing servant to Saren in no small part due to Sovereign."

Shepard perked at this. "Sovereign?"

"Yes, his ship."

"You've seen it?"

"I was on it."

"What?" Shepard asked, never remembering being told this particular piece of information.

"It was not something I like to dwell on." Shiala shuddered. "I was only on it briefly, but it was terrible. I can still remember the voices, the sick slithering feeling, to be a prisoner in your own body…" Her voice trailed off, before wincing at the painful memory.

"You were indoctrinated?"

Shiala turned her attention to her boots. "Yes."

This couldn't be happening, Shepard thought at this stunning revelation. If she was indoctrinated then what was stopping Harbinger from assuming control of Shiala's body next time she was with them on a mission against the Collectors. What was stopping her from turning into a thrall, and handing them over to the Reapers?

"Sovereign indoctrinated you?" Shepard repeated, reeling from this starling news. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

She bowed her head, "I'm sorry, Shepard, but when you offered me a chance for redemption for a new purpose, I couldn't refuse."

Shepard shook his head. "We're going up against Reapers, Shiala!" He pushed himself out of his chair. "And here we have an actual servant of the Reapers inside our ranks!"

"I'm no longer a servant of them," she argued, but what was not conveyed in words could be seen in her facial expression. She bit her lip, another look of pain flittered across her face. There still seemed to be some sort of emotional turmoil going on within her mind.

"Damn it, Shiala!"

"I'm sorry, Shepard."

"If Harbinger found out about this connection," Shepard paused, knowing what he would have to do to the asari if the Reaper became aware of this link. He'd have no choice, and he wouldn't hesitate to do it.

"I can leave," she offered.

He should've instantly voiced his approval at her decision. He should've taken her up on her offer in an instant, but for some unexplained reason Shepard hesitated. Just seconds ago he was considering about having to kill her for the sake of their mission, but now, a new thought occurred. It was appealing, all be it a very dangerous risk. It followed the old adage-keep your friends close and your enemies closer…

There was no doubt that the Reapers were coming. No argument to the threat they posed. Shepard understood that when the Reapers came there would be different fronts to this war. It wasn't just Reaper ships and husks; they'd have to fight, but the threat of indoctrination. A tactic the Reapers used to perfection against the Protheans, remembering Vigil explaining to him the downfall of the Prothean race, and how indoctrinated servants played a pivotal role in bringing down the government and snuffing out survivors. Indoctrination had been vital to the Reapers war effort. It was their most powerful weapon in their arsenal.

This was their opportunity to study the effects of indoctrination. This was their chance to begin to implement countermeasures to stop this method of the Reapers. It was risky, but war was all about risks, and taking chances. If they were careful in their studying, and followed certain protocol, and created safety procedures then wasn't this a risk worth taking?

It was too good of an opportunity for Shepard to pass up. He understood the risks, but he was willing to take them. Shiala's indoctrination was linked to Sovereign; therefore it should've been weakened if not destroyed by its destruction at the Battle of the Citadel. And if it wasn't, and Harbinger became aware of this link or the studying uncovered something dangerous than Shiala would die, and he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

"No," Shepard spoke up, "That won't be necessary."

Shiala's painted on eyebrows furrowed together.

"I think you should stay," he explained, "and I think Mordin and Dr. Chakwas should have a look at you." He saw her confusion, so he was quick to add, "They may be able to help you."

"Thank you, Shepard," she said, looking relieved.

"For the time being let's keep this between ourselves," he suggested, he knew that if word got out on the Normandy of this connection there would be panic. "You should go get some rest, and in a few hours I'll come by and get you and we can talk to Dr. Chakwas and Mordin of your delicate situation."

She nodded, but when she opened her mouth to speak, the door of Shepard's cabin opened with a swoosh, prompting her to close it. She and Shepard turned at once to the new visitor.

"Am I interrupting something?" It was Drek. His upper set of eyes on Shepard, while his lower set of eyes were on Shiala.

"No, I was just leaving," Shiala said, making a beeline towards the door. She brushed past the batarian, and as she stepped out of the room, she looked over her shoulder, looking as if she had something to add, but she seemed to decide against it, since she went to the elevator without another look or word.

"Can I help you, Drek?" Shepard asked, returning to his seat.

"I need your help, Shepard," Drek answered, not wasting any time. Like Shiala before him, Drek went over to the fish tank, keeping his back towards Shepard. "I never told you what I did when I was with the Blue Suns."

"No, you didn't," replied Shepard, wondering what prompted Drek to bring it up, especially if he needed help.

He looked over his shoulder, "I was part of a fringe element within the Blue Suns."

"A fringe element?" repeated a confused Shepard.

"Yeah, that's right," Drek answered. "We were working indirectly for the Batarian Hegemony."

"And the Blue Suns didn't know?"

"They didn't care," corrected Drek, "not as long as they got paid, which they did. The Hegemony gave them quite the incentive to allow them to continue to use this fringe."

"What did the Hegemony get out of this deal?"

"It allowed them to handle old grudges against the Alliance while having complete deniability."

Shepard rested his elbows on his legs as he leaned forward, "And you were working with them?"

"That's right, for the last two years."

"That lines up with your work with Cerberus."

Drek gave a tight smile. "Exactly, I was brought in after my handiwork of that Cerberus Operative I caught and killed."

"And they never thought that they had invited in a Cerberus mole," Shepard said, shaking his head, unable to stop himself from smiling.

"No, they never did," replied Drek sounding amused at being able to successfully fool them. "So I hindered their efforts, I leaked warnings and info back to Cerberus."

"After awhile wouldn't they find out if their targets were expecting them," Shepard pointed out.

"I never said I saved all of them."

Shepard understood the grim reality in Drek's situation. In order to save some of them, they had to allow others to be captured or killed or the Blue Suns would've figured out they had a spy in their ranks.

"It makes sense."

"Yeah, and now this element has become aware that I'm not dead."

"How is that possible?" Shepard frowned, remembering they had thoroughly killed all the Blue Suns on the base on Sanctum where they had found Drek. Not to mention, the batarian had also rigged the base to detonate to remove any remaining evidence of his betrayal of the crime syndicate.

Drek shrugged, "I don't know how, and I don't care, but I need to deal with them."

"What do you want to do?"

"Kill them," answered Drek without hesitation. "These guys are all radicals, and they're going to come after me, better to hit them first before they get a chance to get me."

"Where are they?"

Drek drew up his omni-tool, a wall of text on display. "Cerberus Command is reporting that they're on Omega. No doubt, trying to capitalize on the Blue Suns lost ground and the anti-human sentiments from the plague scare."

"Great, because I didn't get enough of that shit-hole the last time we were there."

"Thanks, Shepard," Drek said, turning off his omni-tool. "I appreciate this."

"Don't worry, Drek," Shepard replied, "we'll get 'em."

Omega…

It was just as shitty as Shepard remembered. He decided to take only minimal strength to the lawless station. He decided against Garrus, since 'Archangel' sightings wouldn't be advantageous. Shiala and Mordin too were staying behind, with the latter beginning his studying of the former and her unique connection with the Thorian and her possible susceptibility to the Reapers. So it was only himself, Drek, Thane, and Jacob.

The four of them made their way over to the apartment complex that was located a few blocks away from the Afterlife bar. According to Cerberus Intel that was where the Suns were hiding out. It was serving as their temporarily base of operations as they tried to regroup after most of the Blue Suns were purged in their attempts at trying to kill Archangel.

"This is it," Drek said, when the four of them arrived at the door at the far end of the corridor at the bottom level of the complex.

"How do you want to handle this, Drek?" Shepard asked, cradling his assault rifle.

"I'll take point," he said, holding his shotgun.

"Alright," Shepard nodded, "we'll stay out of view." He gestured for Jacob and Thane to go to the left of the door, while he took the right of it, stepping out of view, so when the door opened all they could see would be Drek.

"Works for me," Drek said, activating his cloaking device from his omni-tool causing the batarian to disappear from view. He then knocked on the door.

They only waited a handful of seconds before the door opened to show a lone batarian in Blue Suns armor. "What the—"

Drek never let him finish, opening fire with his shotgun, punching a helmet sized hole in the batarian's chest. He was dead before he hit the ground.

The fighting ended before it began. With only two other batarians in the room, they were dispatched quickly. Thane and Jacob handling one of them with a combination of their biotics, and Shepard saw to the other one with his assault rifle. Drek didn't wait for the bodies to hit the floor before going into the apartment.

Satisfied that the entry to the apartment was secure Shepard stepped in seeing just how cramp the apartment really was .It contained a small living area with a turned over sofa and chair from the fighting, a small kitchenette caddy cornered against the far side of the wall and a door to the left.

It was Drek who went to the door, opening it with his shotgun raised on alert before entering the room. It didn't take him long to give the all clear. The apartment was clear. It seemed that these were the only three people occupying the place.

For Shepard this was an odd notion to accept. He had listened to Drek talk about this fringe group within the Blue Suns. He had told him that they were well trained, well armed, and wouldn't go down without a fight. The three they had just dispatched went down without as much as a whimper. This didn't feel right to Shepard, and he wasn't the only to have come to that conclusion.

"This was all of them?" asked a confused Jacob. "I was expecting a few more bodies."

"Agreed," Thane said, raising his head, and clasping his hands behind his back. "For the danger they supposedly posed we neutralized them far too quickly."

"Nothing in there?" Shepard asked when Drek emerged from the room, allowing Shepard to see the room was nothing more than a small bedroom.

"Nope," answered an increasingly annoyed Drek. He made his way over to the nearest fallen mercenary, crouching down beside him, before turning over the dead batarian. Drek's eyes barely had time to register the face before he slammed his fist into the armored chest of the dead mercenary. "Damn it!"

"What's wrong?"

"He's not here."

That got Shepard's attention, when Drek had told him about this Blue Suns outfit, he never mentioned anyone specific. "Who?"

Drek didn't seem to have heard him, and if he had, he was ignoring him. The former Blue Suns legionnaire took the omni-tool from the dead batarian, and began scanning it with his. A holographic display of walls of text was called up, as he slowly began combing through the information stored inside the mercenary's omni-tool.

"Who are you looking for, Drek?" Shepard asked. This time he raised his voice loud enough so that Drek couldn't ignore him.

"Thorvan Ghorot," he answered, keeping his attention on the omni-tool he had taken from the dead merc. "He was in charge. He received his orders directly from the Hegemony."

Any question Shepard was going to follow up with was forgotten when a new voice echoed inside the room.

"Nobody move!" Following the command, were the sounds of several weapons cocking.

Thane and Jacob had their weapons out, and had called on their biotics both looked ready to go in a moment's notice. Drek, on the other hand, remained crouched down, his lower set of eyes on the dead mercenary, while his upper set turned to the new target.

Shepard carefully turned around to see a handful of armed men standing in the doorway. He didn't holster his rifle; instead he only lowered it, so that the muzzle pointed to the ground. "Steady," he said to his group, but he kept his eyes on the new arrivals. He was quick to notice that none of them were wearing Blue Suns armor.

"Looks like we got here too late," said the point man of the group, a batarian, someone who Shepard recognized. It was Anto, one of Aria's top LTs. "Stand down." The diverse group of mercenaries did so, before dispersing in the corridor disappearing from view as they went about securing the area. The only mercenaries who remained visible were a pair of turians who stood outside the doorway on guard duty.

Unsure of why Aria would take interest in this fringe element of the Blue Suns, who posed no direct threat to her rule. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Shepard," Anto replied, stepping into the room. "You make a habit of breaking down doors and gunning down mercenaries?"

"Only when I'm bored," was Shepard's glib response.

Anto didn't seem amused. "You're on Aria's turf, Shepard. It may be smart to be a little more considerate of our host."

"Is that why you're here?" Shepard didn't bother to hide his sarcasm or his dislike for the Ruler of Omega when he added, "Because I offended your illustrious leader?"

He glowered at Shepard's remarks, but didn't shrug off the question. "We were responding to a tip from a kidnapping."

"A kidnapping?" repeated Shepard, unsure if he should be more amused or surprised by the answer. With all the crime and desolation that plagued the space station, he found it unlikely that a simple kidnapping would result in Aria sending one of her top LTs to investigate it.

"It took place an hour ago at Afterlife," Anto explained. "Aria takes it personally whenever a serious crime is committed in her club."

"Unless she sanctioned it," added Shepard.

Again Anto didn't look particularly happy at Shepard's insults to the Pirate Queen of Omega, but before the batarian could defend his boss, one of the turian mercenaries who were guarding the door, stepped in.

"We have a situation."

"Is she out there?" asked Anto.

"Yeah, she thinks she can help with the investigation."

"Fine," Anto sighed, "let her in."

A confused and silent Shepard watched the conversation play out between Anto and the turian, unsure who they were referring to. Before he could further muse on who the two were talking about, an asari appeared in the doorway. She was dressed in the revealing and voluptuous outfit of an Afterlife dancer. She had an intricate pattern of glitter along her drawn on eye brows, and along her crest.

"You shouldn't have come here, Darya," Anto reprimanded. "We have this investigation under control."

The asari dancer named Darya didn't seem to be listening. "Nehria?" She called out, as if expecting this 'Nehria' to simply materialize before them. "Nehria? Can you hear me?"

"I already told ya, she's not here," said an annoyed Anto.

Her shouting didn't go unnoticed by Drek. He had been silently studying the omni-tool, but upon hearing the name, his head shot up, the omni-tool momentarily forgotten. "Who did you say?"

"Nehria-"

"That dumb bitch," Drek cut her off.

Darya took offense to this, getting ready to speak up for her friend, but Shepard beat her to the punch.

"You know her?"

"Yeah," Drek said, still holding onto the omni-tool as he came to his feet. "That's my ex."

"You're Drek?" Darya gaped, momentarily forgetting to be angry at him for his previous insult.

"You're ex as in…" Shepard asked,

"The mother of his child," Darya finished for Shepard.

"That's not my kid," he growled defensively. "It's not batarian!"

Darya harrumphed crossing her arms over her chest.

"Is it possible Thorvan took her?" Shepard asked.

"It's not only possible, he did do it," Drek answered, gesturing to the omni-tool he had taken from the mercenary. "They were supposed to meet him after finishing some business here."

"Where did they take her?"asked a frantic Darya.

Drek didn't answer her. Instead he stepped over the dead mercenary and made his way towards the door, only stopping at the entrance. He turned back towards Shepard and the others. "He took her to the Fathar system, to Lorek."

"Wait!" cried Darya, stopping him from leaving. "Where are you going?"

"To Lorek," Drek replied, "to kill Thorvan."

"And to rescue Nehria?" added a hopeful Darya.

Drek let out a dark chuckle, but made no attempt to further clarify his position before leaving the room.

"We should get moving," Shepard instructed, turning to Jacob and Thane, who both had been silent during the conversation. They nodded and followed Shepard out of the room with Anto and Darya right behind them.

"So Drek has a kid?" Jacob asked, as they left the room.

"A beautiful daughter," answered a proud Darya, a smile blooming on her painted lips.

Shepard turned back to Thane and Jacob. "Head back to the Normandy and give Joker our new set of coordinates. I'll be there shortly; I want the Normandy ready to leave in ten minutes."

"Understood, Commander," Jacob replied, snapping off a salute, while Thane settled for a nod as the Cerberus Operative and Drell assassin left.

Once they were out of sight, Shepard turned back to Darya, "Where is Drek's daughter?"

"She's safe," Darya answered. "I was watching her for Nehria during her shift."

Shepard took in the asari's risqué attire, wondering if she was here and working then who was now watching Drek's daughter.

Darya must have sensed his unasked question. "She's with my boyfriend, but I'm on my way back now to watch her."

Satisfied, Shepard nodded, knowing he was wasting time lingering here. He turned to head back towards the Normandy, but a hand on his shoulder caused him to pause.

"Please, you have to save her," Darya pleaded.

"I'll do my best," he replied, uncomfortable at being put in the middle of a very delicate and personal situation. Not wanting to get further bogged down in a private conflict he had no right to be in, he excused himself before Darya could further beg and plead with him to save her friend, and the mother of Drek's daughter. Shepard wasn't sure of all the facts surrounding this mission, but one thing he did know was that Drek's mission just got a lot more complicated.

The shuttle ride down to Lorek was tense and quiet. Shepard and his squad were on their way down to the Blue Suns base on the batarian colony to wipe out this faction. Even though they were going up against a base of heavily trained mercenaries, Shepard elected to go with a small squad, relying on their skill and experience to overcome the numbers that this group would throw at them. So besides Drek, Shepard chose to go with Thane, Jacob, and Garrus.

Drek hadn't said two words to Shepard since leaving Omega. Now the batarian was sitting by the window seat of the shuttle, but his attention wasn't on the view outside, but on his omni-tool. Sitting beside him was Garrus with Jacob on Garrus' other side and Shepard and Thane sitting across from them.

Thane had his elbows anchored to his legs while his hands were firmly clasped below his chin; the drell looked to be deep in thought or prayer. "My biggest regret was not being there for my family."

Drek stiffened in his seat, but he didn't look up at the drell. "This isn't the same thing."

Thane looked up from over his clasped hands at the batarian. "I do not see the difference."

"Your wife she was a drell," Drek pointed out, turning off his omni-tool, and turning to Thane for the first time. "Your son he was a drell."

"Yes, but surely—"

"There's your difference," Drek cut in brusquely.

Thane leaned back; his eyes never leaving Drek. "Your words speak of one intention, while your actions reveal another."

"I don't care if Nehria lives or dies," Drek said plainly. "My only priority is killing Thorvan and his horde of zealots."

"I thought we killed your buddies on Sanctum," Garrus observed, referring to Drek's recruitment mission.

"No, that wasn't them," Drek answered. "I was only on that base for the short term getting it up and running."

"And the Blue Suns on Sanctum weren't part of this faction?" Jacob asked

"No."

"So who is this Thorvan?" Shepard asked, knowing that this individual was the target of Drek's focus and ire.

"He's a nasty vicious bastard," answered Drek. "He fought with the Hegemony before going to work for the Blue Suns. He wants to restart the war against the Alliance."

Jacob shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "And you're against that?"

"Of course I am," Drek snapped, sounding offended at being lumped together with this Thorvan. "He wants Khar'shan to remain isolated."

"And you don't?" Jacob asked, he didn't hide his surprise at the thought of Drek disagreeing with his own people.

"An isolated Khar'shan is a weak Khar'shan." Drek explained, "When the Reapers come who will defend my home? Who will protect my people, No one! Leaving us to perish in the onslaught of the Reaper armada," Drek lowered his head. "My people will be extinct because of petty, self-inflicted differences!"

"That's not going to happen, Drek," Shepard assured him. "I won't let that happen."

Drek snorted, his words dripping with sarcasm when he asked. "The Butcher of Torfan will save my people?"

"No species deserves extinction," Shepard said firmly, meeting Drek's inquisitive stare to show that he wasn't lying and that he was resolute in this belief. He wouldn't condemn the rachni queen on Noveria, he wouldn't allow the krogan to succumb to the genophage, and he wasn't going to allow the batarians to be wiped out because of their bloody history with humanity.

After a silent stare down, Drek relented breaking the eye contact but not before giving Shepard, a subtle nod acknowledging and accepting Shepard's pledge.

"Well except the Reapers," Garrus put-in, "and the Collectors."

Shepard smiled, but before he could add to his friend's joke the shuttle's VI voice spoke over the loudspeakers-"T-minus three minutes till landing."

"Okay, listen up," Shepard said, calling the squad to attention. "This isn't a rescue mission." He knew he surprised everyone with that remark including Drek. "Our first priority is neutralizing this base, and eliminating this faction. All other objectives are secondary." He looked around to make sure everyone understood his orders. They did, giving him affirmative nods.

Satisfied, he turned to his batarian squad mate. "Okay Drek, let's kill this bastard."

"Get down!" shouted Drek.

Shepard obeyed, slipping behind cover just as a pair of rockets soared over his position. He had been the intended target. He looked to his right to see Drek was huddled behind a turned over table, typing commands fervently into his omni-tool.

"How much longer?" Shepard called.

"Don't rush me, Shepard!"

"I'm not!"Shepard replied hotly, turning to look up from his cover to see the heavy mech advancing onto their position, "but they are."

Shepard and his squad were at an impasse with the Blue Suns. Their battlefield was a large, sprawling room which judging by all the crates and lifts was some sort of storage facility. The fighting through the base had been intense, but they had slowly made ground before entering this very room. It was here where they realized their mistake.

They had come through the south entrance, unaware of the east, west, and north entrances into the room and before long all three entrances had Blue Suns pouring into the room. Shepard and the others had barely made it to cover, and in the scramble had been separated by the rows upon rows of crates which further divided the room. He and Drek were currently being pinned in the area between the south and east entrances by a heavy mech. Thane, Jacob, and Garrus were closer towards the south and west entrances, separated by rows of crates and a hell of a lot of Blue Suns.

Shepard slid deeper into his crouching position when the heavy mech turned its automated firing turret on his position. He listened to the sound of bullets chewing through his cover. Unsure how much more his flimsy protection could sustain this bullet bombardment, when the assault suddenly stopped.

He knew at once what the cause was. Cautiously looking over his mutilated cover to see the heavy mech was towering over him, its red unblinking eye transfixed on Shepard, but it made no attempt to engage him, because Drek had successfully hacked the mech. Instead, it slowly turned around and began to open fire onto a trio of Blue Suns troopers who had been using the heavy mech to cover their advance.

"What did I tell ya, Shepard?" Drek called out from his cover.

He had the good sense to chuckle, "not to doubt you."

"Damn right," Drek replied, peering over his own cover to help orchestrate the hacked heavy mech as it made swift work of the Blue Suns. It then lumbered towards the heart of the Blue Suns entrenchment.

Shepard still staying low made his way over to Drek's position. "Nice work."

"Don't sound too surprised, Shepard," Drek said, not looking up when Shepard joined him, he instead let out a dark cackle when he entered a new command into his omni-tool.

"What was that?" Shepard asked, as he slapped a new clip into his assault rifle.

"A surprise for my friends," Drek answered, vaguely and no sooner had he answered came a deafening explosion from the far side of the room. A blossom of flames, pillars of smoke, and a chorus of shouts, curses, and yelps signaled what had just happened. Drek had set the heavy mech to self-destruct which it did right in the heart of the Blue Suns ranks.

"Shepard, was that you guys?" Garrus' voice crackled in Shepard's ear.

"Yeah, that was Drek," Shepard confirmed. "Where are you?"

"Thane and I found a good snipers' perch," Garrus relayed, "we're making short work of these Pyros."

As if to prove his point, there was a sudden, small explosion that went off to Shepard and Drek's left; signaling that either Garrus or Thane had successfully picked off one.

"Good work," Shepard said, pleased to see that his friend was doing what he did best, "And Jacob?"

"I'm good, Commander," Jacob replied, "Even though I'm being served up as the bait."

"No complaining," Garrus' voice cut in, but his tone belayed his words. "We all have to do our parts."

"Coming from the guy who gets to stay at a safe vantage point," returned Jacob in a grumble, but with no real venom.

"Okay, hold tight," Shepard ordered, "Drek and I will come get you before moving forward."

"Understood, Commander," Jacob replied.

"Do you even know where we're going, Shepard?" Garrus asked.

"No," Shepard said, honestly, "but Drek does."

"We have to head through the northern entrance at the far side of the facility," Drek relayed, bringing up the layout of the base from his omni-tool. "That is where Thorvan will be, there's also a private landing, so we need to hurry."

"So sit tight," Shepard said, "we'll see you shortly."

"Will do, Shepard," Garrus replied.

They found Thorvan at his private landing pad, his shuttle already primed and ready to take off, the door open and he was half carrying, half dragging a protesting Nehria. Sensing their arrival, he immediately turned his back on his shuttle, and propped Nehria up in front of him to use as a body shield as Shepard and the others drew their guns on him.

His Blue Suns armor was cocooned in tech plate armor that included his head. He wrapped one arm around Nehria's throat, and with his other hand he was holding his pistol, which he pointed towards Drek.

"Please help me," begged Nehria wiggling in her captor's grip.

"Shut up." That was Drek. Unlike the others who lowered their weapons when Thorvan put Nehria in front of him, Drek's shotgun remained pointed at Thorvan and by extension Nehria.

Shepard could practically see the anger radiating off of Drek. His expression was clouded, his eyes dark, as he tightened his grip on his shotgun. "Drek…"

That got Thorvan's attention turning to Shepard for the first time, receiving a look of pure hatred from the Blue Suns mercenary. "With the Butcher of Torfan," finishing where Shepard started. He turned back towards Drek.

"You've betrayed your people!" He growled.

"I'm saving them," Drek responded, his voice just as heated.

"Working with Cerberus?" Thorvan challenged.

"Where you mean to weaken our people," Drek replied, "I intend to save them!"

Thorvan bristled at this. His grip tightened around Nehria's throat, his tech plate armor shimmering in the light. "Everything I've done is for our people!"

"Raiding colonies?" Drek said, "Slaughtering civilians?"

"They were humans," Thorvan dismissed, waving his pistol in a gesture of contempt. "You can't stop me, Drek. What I've started, the Hegemony will reign. It is our destiny! All in the galaxy will fear our people."

"I'll kill you before that happens," Drek assured him.

"You'll never get that chance."

A loud siren went off and suddenly more than a dozen LOKI mechs appeared through two hidden doorways entering the room where they opened fire. Shepard and the others scattered trying to find cover, Shepard found one behind a crate. He took his eyes off of the shooting, advancing mechs to see Thorvan had slipped into his shuttle, as it took off, he had left Nehria behind. She was on the ground, her hands covering her ears, eyes going wide as she absorbed the chaos surrounding her.

Shepard opened fire on the shuttle, as it ascended above the landing pad, but it was futile, the shuttle's armor and shields easily were able to deflect or absorb the rounds from his rifle. He looked over the crate to see Garrus, Jacob, and Thane were staving off the mechs advancement, picking them off with biotics and bullets. Drek was with them, shouting and cursing, taking his frustration on Thorvan slipping from his grasp on his mechs.

Screaming ripped Shepard from his vantage point, turning around to see Nehria had been shot. He looked to see the last of the mechs were being put down, seeing his opening he sprinted towards the fallen asari. It was multiple shots, two bullets punctured her torso; blood was seeping from her wounds, already beginning to pool on the floor.

Shepard immediately applied medi-gel to the wound, and the bleeding slowed to a trickle, and her screaming waned to whimpering. Tears in her eyes, she was shaking, her lower-half covered in her own blood. Even with the wound closed, she wasn't out of danger. Without proper medical attention it was more than likely she'd be dead within the hour. With nothing else he could do, Shepard stood from his crouching position to see the battle was over. The mechs lay in pieces, each and every one of them destroyed.

"Damn it!" Drek kicked a mech's discarded leg.

He understood his anger. Shepard's eyes went towards the sky above their heads. Thorvan's shuttle was long gone. They may have defeated the faction, but Thorvan, the true threat remained at-large. And to both Shepard and Drek that meant one thing- Their mission was a failure.

Morning was slowly creeping to Omega.

It took some coercing on Shepard's part, not to mention a pleading Nehria who desperately wanted to return back to the space station for Drek to grudgingly relent to help escort her back to Omega, once the asari had been treated and cleared by Dr. Chakwas. The first human Spectre and the batarian legionnaire now stood awkwardly in the small, cramp loft unsure what to do or say.

Darya was bustling in the kitchenette area, helping her friend with some of the more menial tasks while Nehria recovered from her ordeal at Lorek.

"Don't you want to see her?" Nehria asked, coming up behind Shepard and Drek.

"I already did," Drek lied, waving a hand in the girl's general direction, "Very nice and what not."

"In the dark?" Nehria challenged not for a minute believing him. "From here?"

Drek grumbled something, and even though Shepard couldn't hear it, he had a feeling that it was directed at his ex and that it wasn't very nice.

Undeterred, she gently nudged the batarian's shoulder, "just see her for a moment."

"Fine!" said an exasperated Drek.

Shepard followed a few steps behind since he didn't know where else to go. He watched as Drek stopped at the foot of the bed, not glancing at the one sleeping in it for more than a few seconds before turning back to his ex, "happy?"

"Look at her," Nehria insisted pointing at the bed. The asari didn't back down when Drek glared at her, mumbling as he did, and it was him who relented first, turning back to look at the child who was still sleeping undisturbed even amidst Drek's growing protests and grumbling.

Shepard came up alongside Drek. The batarian had his arms crossed, his four eyes looking down at the child, and the annoyance in his countenance didn't change as he took in the sight of his child for the first time. The young asari girl who looked no older than four or five appeared the same size as a human counterpart, looking no bigger than a small toddler.

"She doesn't even have four eyes." Drek lamented.

"We're teaching her you know," Nehria was saying coming to stand on Drek's other side. "She'll learn all about her father's heritage."

That didn't seem to bring any comfort to Drek. "You can teach her all you want about my people, but it will never make her one."

Nehria walked around them before crouching down beside the child's bed, where she laid a gentle hand on her head and whispered softly to her. She responded by stirring and groaning beneath her covers keeping her eyes closed. She turned back to them, "It's time for her to wake up."

She didn't seem bothered that the child wasn't responding well to being woken up this early. Nehria settled for gently lifting her out of the bed, standing back up and turning to Drek with the toddler in her arms. "Do you want to hold her?"

"No."

Nehria was holding the still sleeping child close to her chest as she walked over to Drek, "Just for a moment?"

"No."

"I said—" his protest died on his lips when she put the child in his hands.

"Drek, this is your daughter, Espera."

Unlike Nehria who had held Espera close to her chest, Drek was holding Espera at arm's length. He was handling her as if she was a set of explosives that needed to be disarmed as if it would go off at any minute. He tilted his head to the side, his four eyes scanning the young child in his hands. His expression remained impassive during his inspection.

The sleepy toddler squirmed and stirred in his hands, slowly waking up. She blinked owlishly before her blue eyes finally focused on Drek. The reaction wasn't positive. She scrunched her face before letting out a wail that should've been too loud to come from something so small.

Alarmed, Drek nearly dropped the now screaming child in his hands. Confused at what to do, he quickly unloaded the crying toddler back into Nehria's hands. She was quick to soothe Espera's agitation as she stopped crying, carrying her over to the small kitchen, leaving behind Drek and Shepard.

Standing there Drek was quick to cross his arms over his chest, grumbling something.

Well, that could've gone better, Shepard mused in terms of Drek's first encounter with his daughter.

"Hey, Shepard."

He turned to the batarian; the two had been silently making their way through Omega back towards the docked Normandy. They had elected to leave Nehria's loft shortly after Drek's little incident with his child.

"Yeah, Drek?"

"Thanks for your help."

"You're welcome," he replied, "and don't worry we'll get Thorvan."

"Good, I'm looking forward to it."

Unsure what else to say on the delicate matter of Drek's mission, Shepard opted to remain silent. Not knowing what was appropriate to say in regards of Drek's encounter with his ex and daughter, neither of which he seemed to like to talk about, or even generally liked. He wasn't sure if Drek's reunion with either of them was a helpful balm or an incendiary. He'd give him some time to sort of his feelings on the situation, before approaching him again to see if he wanted to talk about it…

"Ya know Nehria told me that Espera means something in some asari dialect."

"Oh yeah?" Shepard replied, caught off guard with Drek's choice of topic. He did well to hide his surprise, and was careful to keep his tone neutral when he added, "So what does it mean?"

"Hope."