Chapter X: The First Victory

The bed was beyond comfortable. Yes, the cabin did have a very… soothing feeling around it. Maybe it was the fish swimming on their tank to his right, the loyal space hamster far away, the space ship models straight ahead… or the naked woman next to him. Her faint purple skin, so smooth and soft… it felt like silk on his hands… and her long raven hair, cut short on her back, made Tali'Zorah one of the Galaxy's treasures. A three-digit hand gently stroke his scarred, rock-solid chest as Shepard kept a strong arm around her, keeping the woman within his reach. He grinned contently at her ministrations as they laid together under the sheets of their bed.

Shepard stared into her face. If the Reapers created the Relays, then God himself sculpted the face of the Quarians. It had to be. Human women could be just as beautiful, true, but none was Tali. Her eyes glowed contently, and her chest pressed itself against his body, sharing their warmth.

"I wish we could stay like this forever" Tali hummed, resting her head on his chest as it rose soothingly.

"How long until…?" Shepard eyed her, already dreading the minutes left of contact.

Tali closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Any moment now" she was clearly reluctant to look at the alarm clock behind her. She opened her eyes to stare into his very soul. "Is this right, Shepard?" She asked, uncertain. "Do you really want to be with… me?"

Shepard smiled, his free hand moving to stroke a side of her head. She enjoyed the touch. "I think I've made my choice rather clear already" he stated.

Tali stared at him. "I know but…" she looked down, regretful "you should be with a human – someone who could make you happy".

Shepard closed his eyes. "You make me happy, Tali… and knowing my luck, I'll take the most beautiful creature to spend my time with while I still walk on this realm" he declared. "What about you?"

Tali sighed, pressing every bit of her skin she could onto his. "I know this is wrong – that I should be trying to mate with a male quarian but…" she closed her own eyes, breathing wistfully. "This feels too right to be wrong…"

The pair remained quiet.

"Shepard"

"Yes, Tali?"

The Quarian pushed herself up and saddled her body over Shepard's, her hands playfully walking over his chest as she stared at him. Shepard's own hands didn't stay still, preferring to explore across anatomical parts no man had ever touched before – to boldly conquer men's final frontier. Tali's skin was just addictive to touch. A smile adorned his face as Tali started purring and she looked blissful for a moment there.

"Uhhh… don't stop" Tali begged contently. For a moment, she seemed reluctant to carry on with whatever she wanted to talk about. However, after she took a deep breath, Tali's resolution crawled back into her blissful face, marring it with concern. "Shepard… Do you see us - together?"

Shepard lazily raised an eyebrow as Tali stared into him, expectant. "Do you mean… like on some beach house with two or three kids running around?" He wondered.

Tali seemed to frown at the question, clearly unused to such concept of settling down. It probably came with being a Quarian. She seemed to debate with herself about what she intended to say next, uncertain.

"Ehm… something like that – I think. Shepard, we quarians… we aren't like humans" Tali started saying, unsure. "Do you think that we will be… mated?"

Shepard frowned. "Mated? As in… married?" He wondered. He closed his eyes, realizing what she meant. "You are asking if I want us to remain together, as a couple, even after this mission" he concluded. "Well… yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

Tali sighed with sadness. "We both know why you would seek the comforts of others, Shepard… and I can't blame you for that" her happiness was gone, replaced with resignation and defeat.

"That's not going to happen" Shepard declared. "I want to be with you – by God Tali, you are everything I wanted from a woman, from a partner – a mate if you will" he really didn't like using such terms, but he did so regardless. "I don't think anyone else can offer what you can".

Tali seemed like she wanted to protest, to contest such idea, only that Shepard decided it would be best to change the subject altogether. With a smirk, he pulled Tali under him while he moved over her. She squeaked, startled, only to cutely smile.

"Now, Miss Normandy – the future is a very uncertain thing. The Present, on the other hand…" Shepard whispered, leaning for a kiss…

What? Shepard opened his eyes. Where was he? Tali, where was…? The Commander shook his head, sitting up. He looked at his left, where he had felt her… he closed his eyes. Another dream. Even so far from each other Tali was bringing consolation to him. That night (if he could call it that) had been something else. Perhaps for the first time in ages, Shepard had actually put some thought about his life past the war with the Reapers, an unlikely scenario if there was one.

The Commander flexed his arms, stretching his stiff musculature. To his chagrin, cybernetics beneath his skin increased in intensity, reminding the Commander about his past. There were new scars, glowing orange, here and there.

Why couldn't he have dreamed the entire memory through? Shepard smiled fondly, recalling the tender touch of Tali's hands, her cheeks and face… he recalled the feeling of his hand running against her skin, of their bodies in communion as they rested.

The Commander's good mood suddenly dissipated as he realized how long it had been, and how much he missed her. Just thinking about the possibility of being unable to see her, not even once again… it unnerved him. Would she even want to be with him again? A part of him was rather certain she would, but Shepard didn't want to take her for granted.

Shepard leaned backwards, scratching his chest. He looked up at the ceiling, contemplating about the future. There was one thing he could conclude about it: what an uncertain mess the future was. For starters, he didn't really hold much expectations he would see the war through. The odds were stacked against him on that end. Then, even if he lived it through… it would all depend on so many things of what followed. Could there even be a future with Tali there on the horizon?

The Commander smirked, sighing contently. And just like that, he cringed. His mind had suddenly conjured an unwanted guest: Liara. It wasn't that Shepard was resentful or anything but… he really didn't like the way his mind was taking a liking to bringing the blue-skinned alien up. Yeah, she was attractive, loyal and hard-working, but Shepard had already a commitment, one he planned to fulfil. Still, Liara was admittedly looking more tempting by the day. Even after their little conversation, she hadn't been swayed: she was hell-bent of regaining their lost love…

It wouldn't be love, Shepard grumbled mentally, it would be lust. Liara was… well… she was an asari. Her body was just perfect. He was a lone man with a lot of tension that needed to release his pent up stress. He really wanted some company. The loneliness, the lack of warmth accompanying him on his bed were haunting. Liara was there, Tali was not… his mind seemed to do the math against his own wishes.

Shepard shook his head. No, he couldn't do that to Tali, or to himself. Tali had gone through too much to simply let her suffer again because he couldn't control his raging hormones – his carnal desire for a female companion.

He groaned. Why did Liara have to do this to him?

"Good day, Commander. Are you alright, Shepard?" EDI inquired politely, her voice echoing across the cabin and brushing on his hearing like a gentle breeze.

Shepard pinched the bridge of his nose, irritated by the annoying turmoil in his heart and head.

"No" Shepard admitted. If there was one person he knew that wouldn't judge him, it would be EDI. There were perks on having an AI friend, although she liked to act the part of the loyal servant. Part of Cerberus programing, no doubt.

"Should I inform Doctor Chakwas?" EDI asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"No… She won't be able to help me on this" Shepard sighed.

"May I ask what bothers you, Shepard?" The AI innocently queried.

Shepard took a deep breath. Should he tell her? Well, he had been debating too much with himself, a different perspective would be useful. Then again, what could EDI really say? She wasn't an organic. Her understanding of emotions were basic and limited to logic and software.

"Let's just say I've been feeling… lonely" Shepard grumbled, embarrassed at his admittance.

EDI remained silent for a moment. Then, she spoke. "Is there any way I may assist you?"

Shepard scratched the nape of his neck. How could EDI even hope to assist him in such a matter? She was an AI, an artificial life-form that was unable to understand companionship and love like organics could. "I don't think so" he shook his head. "Don't worry, I will get over it in time" he added with a sigh.

The Commander stood up, reluctantly bracing for the day waiting for him. "Any new messages?" He asked EDI as he went into the bathroom.

"You've received three new mails. The senders are Thane Krios, Zaeed Massani and an Alliance emergency bulletin" EDI replied. "You also have two new messages on your secure channels".

Shepard, busy studying his face, frowned for a moment. His gaze moved away from the glowing scar that had appeared a day prior next to his right eye. The stress, according to Chakwas, was starting to take its toll on his cybernetics, something about them overexerting themselves and burning the skin over them. Great… just what he needed…

"Two?" Shepard wondered.

"Indeed, one from Admiral Hackett with the latest reports on the Alliance's readiness and the Crucible's status and another one from Urdnot Wrex" EDI replied.

"Wrex?" Shepard exclaimed, shocked, as he turned the water of his shower on. Why would Wrex contact him through a secure channel? Heck, he had expected the big guy to just call him over if he needed something… unless it was very important.

"Yes" EDI answered.

Shepard sighed, worried, as he turned the water off. He would take a shower after he had read the important message from the Krogan. Grimly, he walked out of the bathroom and to his computer terminal. After he had verified himself to the computer, he opened the message, his heart clenching painfully. What could it be? His fears were confirmed no sooner he had started reading:

Shepard, the Reapers are on Tuchanka. I'm going to need you help on something. We'll talk more in the Normandy ALONE – might be there in a few hours, not sure. Clean somewhere from bugs – no one can know about what I will tell you. I'm going to need something to show you footage and images.

The Commander re-read the short message, his body going limp. The Reapers had moved onto Tuchanka? Why? He had expected them to finish the Turians after they had dealt with Earth. It made sense. Why the Krogans? Shepard gritted his teeth. He didn't like this secrecy. What was Wrex not telling him? Why did he use a secure channel? It had to be something vital… but what?

"EDI, prepare the Conference Room for a meeting between Wrex and me… make sure no one can overhear the conversation" Shepard ordered.

"Understood" EDI replied. "Anything else?"

Shepard went back to the bathroom, feeling like another cybernetic scar would start showing on his face at any moment now. "A big mug of coffee, I'm going to need one of those" he muttered.

The Commander sat at the conference room, using a box. He rubbed his nose, already feeling exhausted. A warm mug was held tightly on one hand while a ham sandwich, unfinished, rested on the table nearby. He knew it would be best if he ate it already, but his mind was lost in thought for that. Shepard couldn't believe he had forgotten about the Reapers like that. With the way the bastards had been quiet and relatively uneventful on the Terminus Systems and on Earth, he hated to admit he had let his guard down. Cerberus might have some blame on that, after all.

The door to the security checkpoint opened and in walked EDI, clad in her usual officer uniform, leading a morose looking Krogan. Wrex stomped his way into the Conference Room while EDI stepped outside the glass door that separated the Conference Room from the rest of the ship. Shepard eyed her as she stood there, staring at him impassively, before looking at Wrex. He looked awful.

The Krogan leant at the opposite end of the table, his red eyes a tempestuous hurricane of emotions that raged brightly and dangerously.

"How are you holding up?" Shepard asked, unsure how to start the conversation.

"Badly" Wrex muttered, shaking his head angrily. "Tuchanka… my home-world… it's burning once again…" he clenched his fists, slowly starting to growl. All of a sudden he exploded "AND NO ONE GIVES A DAMN!"

Shepard took a deep breath. Yep, he should have seen that coming. "What's the situation?" Shepard asked.

Wrex gruffly huffed, connecting his omni-tool to the Conference Room screen. In there, he showed Shepard an image of a planet. The Commander, surprised, stood up and went over to the Krogan's side, staring at the holographic screen.

"The Reapers didn't launch a full scale invasion like on Earth" Wrex started saying, sounding rather unsure – if not reluctant. He typed on his omni-tool and small red Reapers showed on the planet's surface. "They concentrated their attack here" a red dot started beeping over what Shepard assumed was Tuchanka. "Tarug, one of our old cities from before the Rebellions…"

Shepard frowned. "The Reapers… they aren't in full force?" He wondered, confused.

"No, maybe four hundred Sovereign class, half of which are on Orbit" Wrex grunted. "The rest are on Tarug – launching a full scale ground invasion with a horde of thousands of Husks straight to our camps and territories. The Clans are on full retreat, trying to regroup". Arrows sprouted from the red dot – Tarug – and slowly started spreading across Tuchanka.

"Why are they concentrating on that one city, Wrex?" Shepard pondered.

The Krogan remained eerily silent, glaring at the picture. Shepard stared at Wrex, suspicion bubbling within him. After a few seconds, the Krogan sighed wearily, lowering his face in defeat. He pressed a few buttons of his omni-tool and, in an instant, Tuchanka's surface was covered by twinkling blue dots.

"See those, Shepard?" Wrex grumbled. "Those are the locations of my missile silos… not just any missiles… Thannar Missiles".

Shepard raised an eyebrow, his imagination going in overdrive. The Reapers clearly were avoiding orbiting over said silos, meaning that they were weary of them… but that couldn't be possible. The Reapers couldn't be cautious of some orbital defences like that… could they?

"Thannar Missiles?" Shepard repeated with curiousity.

"Experimental technology – prototype actually" Wrex told the human. "I've smuggled them from the Terminus – when it was still decent enough for transactions. They should be able to take down a Sovereign class Reaper with ease".

"Wrex, that's impossible" Shepard remarked. "No missile can do that. As it is, I doubt nuclear missiles alone can do the trick". Not that they had tried them on Reapers.

"This Thannar Missiles aren't like your Javelins… they were developed by the batarians based on the Leviathan of Dis" Wrex sighed. "An actual Reaper – I am no engineer, but trust me when I tell you, these Thannar missiles can do the trick".

Shepard had a hard time believing that. Missiles capable of taking down Reapers that big? It was impossible, preposterous even. But… the Reaper did seem cautious, at least enough to gamble on ground forces conquering Tuchanka rather than landing themselves over the Krogans.

"How does this tie with Tarug? There were no silos there?" Shepard queried.

"On the contrary" Wrex growled, glaring at the small Reaper icons. "It was supposed to have a fully functioning facility. For some reason, it did not fire on the Reapers when they hit – that was not supposed to happen".

"Indoctrinated agents" Shepard suggested. "Maybe one of the Krogan there were indoctrinated, or an indoctrinated Krogan sabotaged the facility".

"I don't know what is worse: sabotage or treason" Wrex shook his head.

"I'll go with treason" Shepard answered. "If what you say is true and this Thannar Missiles could actually be able to destroy Reapers" something I truly doubt, he mentally added "then the last thing we want is for the Reapers to keep a functioning facility with such fire power".

"Agreed" Wrex nodded. "Thing is… what are we going to do?"

Shepard's first instinct was to question the reason Wrex thought Shepard would do anything. He couldn't risk the Normandy and he wasn't a freelancer. He answered to the Council and the Alliance… most of the time. Yes, he was a Spectre, but Shepard couldn't throw his life and resources if it would only cause trouble in the end. However, he dismissed the thought.

"What can we possibly do?" Shepard wondered.

"Shepard, I know this is a lot to ask but… I need you to go and investigate the facility" Wrex turned his full massive bulk towards Shepard. He looked pleadingly at the human, something that took the Spectre aback. "If it is sabotaged, then I will need the facility destroyed. If it isn't… then we could still use it against the Reapers".

"Wrex" Shepard squinted at the Krogan "you are asking me to infiltrate Reaper-controlled territory, under the nose of the Reapers themselves and investigate what could possibly be ruins?"

"Shepard, unless we do something, more of my silos are going to fall" Wrex warned. "As we speak the Reaper forces are pushing across Tuchanka to find them. Without those silos, the Reapers will take full control of the planet".

"Do you even understand how ridiculous this is?" Shepard exclaimed, exasperated. "How do we even know this Thannar Missiles will work? Have you considered the Reapers might only be overly cautious but not scared of them? Don't underestimate those monsters – for all we know this was part of their plan all along".

"Shepard, trust me when I tell you I'm absolutely sure those missiles will purge the Reapers from the face of Tuchanka" Wrex declared furiously. "No one else can reach that facility – there are no other stealth ships on Council Space that could make it that far, and I trust you. You are the finest warrior in existence – if anyone can do this, it is you".

"God Damn it, Wrex!" Shepard yelled. "I'll be risking everything for a hunch! How do you even know the facility won't be surrounded by Reapers? Or with a Reaper on top? If we lose the Normandy…"

"So you are not going to do this?" Wrex growled, baring his teeth. "I need this. I need to save Tuchanka, Shepard! I can't do this without your help! Think about my people!"

Shepard gritted his teeth, frustrated.

"I thought you were a friend, Shepard" Wrex grunted "I guess I was wrong…"

Shepard took a deep breath, eyes closed. "Did you take this to the Council?" He softly asked.

"Are you kidding me? What do you think they would say if they knew the Krogans had been rearming all this time and had managed to do so without their knowledge? They would freak out – heck, maybe even be thankful that the Reapers are on Tuchanka now" Wrex hissed. "Much less with missiles like this". Wrex leant forward, his face mere inches from Shepard. "Are you going to help my people or not?"

What could he do? It was against common sense to take such risk. However… what if… what if Wrex was right? He had believed Shepard about the Reapers – for good reason – and probably had prepared accordingly. Was it so farfetched the batarians, who had been working on a Reaper, had developed more powerful missiles capable of taking down entire Sovereign class Reapers?

"Damn it, Wrex – if I do this…" Shepard felt his heart racing, a part of him unable to believe he was even past considering such a foolhardy mission. "You will owe me one hell of a favour, understood?"

Wrex smirked. "Wouldn't ask for anything else" he chuckled. "So you are going to do it?"

Shepard looked away. "I need to know if this missiles are as good as you say" he didn't need to look at the Krogan to know the Clan Leader was about to retort. "I know… I know – you believe they are sufficient. I want to be sure. I will be risking everything, and I mean everything, based on this. I need to know for sure – it is not up to debate". He looked at Wrex with a hardened expression. "Give EDI every detail you've got, from coordinates to the launching protocols of that facility – and schematics to those Thannar Missiles. If they are as good as you say…" Shepard took a moment to sigh "I'll do it – I'll personally go and risk my neck to check this facility out".

Wrex was visibly displeased with what Shepard was asking. He scrunched his scale face, sour about the Commander's demand. However, he didn't outright deny the human. Shepard was, after all, only being reasonable.

"Alright" Wrex huffed angrily. "I'll give you everything I've got – even how to find the bathrooms".

Shepard curtly nodded. "Then let's hope you are right, if this missiles…" he stopped, frowning as he suddenly realized something. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Wrex looked away, now he was more than just reluctant to speak.

"Why didn't you tell me you had this type of missiles with you? Do you know how this could change the tide of the war?" If they are true to Wrex's expectations, that is, Shepard added.

"…you don't understand" Wrex sighed, frustrated. "It is not that simple…"

"Really?" Shepard folded his arms, defiantly. "It doesn't look that complex from where I stand".

"I couldn't tell you, Shepard" the Krogan clarified, grumbling.

"Why not?" Shepard growled. Wrex remained quiet, unwilling to meet his gaze. "Damn it, Wrex – first the cure of the genophage, now this…" he gritted his teeth. "What happened to no secrets? I told you I didn't like being kept in the dark."

"You don't get it" Wrex grumbled. "It comes with being a leader – how many secrets do YOU have that you haven't told me, Shepard?" He folded his arms, turning to glare accusingly at the Commander. "Like the Quarians… you gave them free-access to the Collector Base".

Shepard's eyes widened. "How the…?" He gasped before frowning. "That was completely different".

"Oh? Why didn't you give the technology to the Alliance, huh Shepard?" Wrex taunted. "From where I stand, I'm not the only one that doesn't trust the Alliance".

"That's it? You don't trust the Alliance?" Shepard wondered, surprised.

"It's more than that – I don't trust the Council, or most politicians. I don't trust aliens, Shepard – except perhaps you. For all we know, they could be indoctrinated" Wrex muttered "It's nothing personal, I just don't trust the people you work with".

Shepard sighed. Why did he feel like Wrex was just inventing an excuse out of the blue? He shook his head.

"Never mind" he muttered, resigned. "I've got a suicide mission to complete…"

"I'll leave you to that" Wrex nodded.

"Give all the information you've got to EDI, Wrex – and please, don't withhold anything about this facility or the Thannar missiles" Shepard grunted.

Wrex didn't retort anything, other than grumbling softly with displeasure.

Silence. Shepard didn't need to be able to see through their visors to know that the surrounding people were sweating their bodies out of water. That or shaking with fear. The shuttle hummed gently as Cortez flew them down. Shepard nervously checked the time. Forty five minutes… fifty minutes tops… that's how long the shuttle could keep the cloak on.

The Commander didn't want to admit it, but he too was shaking in his boots. This mission could go wrong so fast so quickly… it was daunting. Traynor, clad in the standard navy blue Alliance space suit, probably took the award for the most nervous, and for good reason. She was as good as a civilian. She lacked training and she wasn't the time to jump into the fray. Now, they were all giving one huge leap into the most dangerous situation as of yet.

To say Shepard had been surprised by the schematics of the Thannar missiles might be a lie. He had been utterly floundered by them. Remembering what he had seen made Shepard as confused and troubled as he had been back then. How could he not feel absolutely lost by them? EDI and he both agreed that they were too advanced for anyone to actually develop from the blue: the alloys required were unique, even as far as calling it 'alien', the internal systems a marvel of technological advancements, and the stimulated inner firepower… it was monstrous. The Thannar Missiles were one a new level of their own in barrier-cutting, armour-piercing and power.

That brought about uncomfortable questions: where had Wrex come across them? When was Wrex planning on telling Shepard about them? Heck, was Wrex even planning to? The mere notion Wrex was keeping quiet about such – such powerful weapons… then again, he understood the Krogan's hesitation. If he had reacted the way he had, Shepard had no idea how the Council would have took it. Salarians and Turians would have been more than just outraged; they would have lost their minds over the Krogans having such weaponry.

No, Shepard wanted to know where Wrex had come across such technology. It was way too advanced for batarians. Not even the Asari, known for being the most advanced civilization (even though they didn't have the same level of risk-taking scientists as humans or salarians) were that advanced. Shepard knew one faction, or group, advanced enough to make such weapons as the Thannar Missiles: the Collectors, and by extension the Reapers. That meant one thing in Shepard's mind: someone with access to the Collector Base had created those missiles. The only two options were the Quarians, who were missing, and Cerberus… not exactly the best option at the moment.

Then again, the Batarians had been studying a Dead Reaper. Could it have been that which gave them such a technology? Shepard had to shudder at the thought of batarians with such missiles. The Commander really didn't want to imagine batarians like Balak capable of using Thannar Missiles. Not that the Krogans having them was anything more comforting, really.

So there they were, on their way down to a secret entrance to the tunnels under Tarug. The Normandy, blindly flying kilometres over the ground without scanners or navigation systems, had managed to confirm that the Reapers hadn't either overrun the place with Husks or had a massive Sovereign class vessel park over the facility. Moreover, the entire place was intact… what was odd. The only explanation was that the Reapers knew that whoever was in control of the facility, was a loyal Reaper agent… Indoctrinated people, no doubt.

Shepard eyed his loyal soldiers as the timer carried on. Any time now they would reach their destination – the secluded underground access – and separate. James stood proudly, his heavy armour imperiously imparting confidence. He was ready. He had seen the Husks and had his trusted shotgun and rifle with him. The two rookies, Private Westmoreland and Private Campbell, didn't share Lieutenant Vega's confidence.

Garrus and Nyreen stood side by side, like immobile robots, steadily prepared for action. Turians were good at hiding their doubts, after all. Shepard had to wonder if anything had happened between the two – they did spend a lot of time together. EDI, the ever faithful observer, had stated so far the two had kept a good distance from each other. Shepard really didn't know how to take that information… or if he should care at all. Liara was equally still, lost in her own thoughts, probably too concerned to do anything.

"ETA one minute" Cortez declared. Everyone reacted at that, shifting uneasily or stiffening.

They were about to start their suicide mission. For all they knew there would be hordes and hordes of husks all around, and maybe in the facility. The mission could go wrong in so many ways so quickly…

Shepard leant over into the cockpit. "Any visuals?" he asked the pilot.

"None, Commander" Steve replied, uneasy. Shepard looked through the shaded windows. Dust, wind and rubble were the only visible things out there.

"Damn… no heat signatures?"

"This is Tuchanka. Everything glows in Infra-red" Steve retorted good-naturedly. "I guess we are lucky. The planet is making us invisible on its own".

Shepard had to admit they had to be thankful of that. He leant back and turned to his comrades.

"Alright, you all know what to do" he told the team. "Privates, Lieutenant, keep the shuttle secure – don't try to contact us unless Reapers are overrunning this position, understood?"

James nodded while the two rookies timidly remained still, unsure how to respond.

"Doubt they will be able to contact anyone – not with the Reapers jamming all coms" Samantha nervously spluttered.

"Easy there, Traynor" Shepard reassuringly told the woman. "We are going to make it".

"I wish I had your confidence" the Communication specialist mumbled shyly.

"Ha, who wants to live forever, right?" James snorted, amused. "Tell you what, we make it up and the Commander buys us drinks the next time at the Citadel".

"Oy, why me?" Shepard wondered.

"Come on, you bastard, you are dragging our arses here. The least you could do is buy us drinks" James joked.

"Yes, Shepard, perhaps it's time you showed us how much you value us" Garrus joined in.

"Et tu, Garrus?" Shepard retorted.

"I'm in" Liara chimed in, somewhat chirpier.

"Alright, alright… but only one can of beer for you, Vega" Shepard smirked.

"Oh, come on, that's not fair" James protested.

The shuttle shook and suddenly the gravity of their situation returned full force. Shepard, like the rest, drew out their weapons in perfect synchronization. With grave expressions beneath their visors, they stared at the side door. It hissed open and the team raised their guns. In the darkness of the underground, barely lit by the massive hole where the shuttle had come from, the infiltration team moved out.

They were in some large cavern of sorts. It probably had been used for a subway or train, and the roof had collapsed at one point. Thus, on each side of the shuttle one could only see pitch darkness. Not that the day above was particularly bright – not with the ongoing sandstorm.

"We'll hold you on those drinks, Loco" James whispered as they separated.

Shepard nodded at the bulky man. The two nervous solders next to him eyed their dark surroundings, expecting Husks to jump from the nearby shadows.

"Take care of them – and Steve" he told the Lieutenant.

"Aye, aye, sir" James saluted. "And good luck, all of you" he soberly added.

Shepard turned around, facing the darkness in front. So it begins… He took a deep breath and glanced at his companions.

"Let's move" he ordered, heading into the tunnels beyond. He turned the flashlight of his weapon on and, together, the infiltration team trotted onwards.

To say the underground of Tuchanka was as scary as the surface would have been a lie. The cities above were scary, creepy or plain nasty. The belly of Tarug, on the other hand… the darkness made everything unnerving. The long shadows cast, the darkness surrounding them, and the mere notion that Reapers could be anywhere kept them all on edge.

The group traversed a tunnel and took a ladder to a level below. After that, Shepard didn't bother trying to keep track of the maze he was leading his team into. Trusting his HUD, he carried on, making sure he could hear the steps of his comrades. However, as they kept their pace, Shepard found it… unnerving the lack of any hostiles.

"There should be hundreds of varren here" Garrus grunted.

"The Reapers might have scared them off" Nyreen commented.

But where were the Reapers? Shepard frowned. It was hard to imagine the Reapers simply ignoring the Thannar Missile facility like that. Why not keep some units around? Perhaps they had abandoned the facility after making sure it was thoroughly sabotaged? Shepard gritted his teeth. He hated this – the unsettling tension that raised by marching into the unknown.

"Alright, the connection to the sewer should be down here" Shepard knelt on a man-hole of sorts.

"Urgh" Liara muttered with disgust. "Is it really necessary to drag ourselves through a sewer?"

"There must be another way" Garrus grumbled.

Shepard, using his omni-tool, worked on the man-hole. It was so odd that there were no security systems around or anything. Then again, the facility probably hadn't been built but rather the place had been repurposed into a missile silo, thus it didn't count with the common security measures of top-secret facilities Shepard was used to.

"Look at it this way" Shepard told Liara. "I doubt they'll expect us to take this route".

"For a bloody good reason" Traynor muttered.

"Quit complaining – at least be thankful we have our suits and helmets on" Shepard sighed, rolling his eyes. These people… if they only knew the places Shepard had been back in the day…

The Commander climbed down into the small sewer. Differently from the tunnels they had been going through, these were smaller and thus had to go crouching. That and this tunnel had water of questionable colour reaching up to their knees. Shepard was extremely thankful he had his tightly-sealed helmet on. He was sure it would reek of something unmentionable otherwise.

"Yuck" Traynor huffed. "I should have stayed at the Citadel…"

"Still no Varrens" Garrus commented.

Shepard didn't like it any more than Garrus how the local fauna seemed to be gone. However, he preferred to struggle forwards rather than think about it. The Commander probably wouldn't like the answer, after all.

"We are close" he whispered. In the end, he found a small round pipe large enough for a man to squeeze through leading upwards. This was it.

In what was a rather large bathroom, with showers and Krogan toilets, everything was extremely quiet and dark. There was a light above, but it flickered, revealing three corpses, with pools of blood beneath them. Each of the dead Krogan had wide-eyes, their faces caught with shock. It was to that room that one of the grates on the floor of the showers suddenly clicked loose, and was moved to a side.

When Shepard pulled himself into the room, he winced at the sight of the corpses. Their lack of armour was telling about had they had been caught by surprise. However, his shock was quickly replaced by curiosity. He knelt next to the hole he had come from and extended a hand. Liara took the offered hand without second thought and the Commander pulled the asari with ease.

"Dead Krogan" Liara commented, sounding disturbed by the sight.

Shepard and Liara helped Nyreen up. She was a little heavier than the asari.

"Shot, by the looks of it" Shepard grunted.

The Commander went to study one of the fallen Krogan as his other two comrades helped Traynor. So far, so good, apparently. Indeed, these Krogan had been surprised while using the room for their needs… a bad way to go. Still, the holes in them were odd. The lacked the scorched halo of Reaper weapons, but they weren't small as normal weapons… so who did it?

"I thought this was a Cerberus facility" Liara remarked as he knelt next to him, a submachinegun in her hands.

Shepard glanced at her. "This could be a rival clan secretly working for Cerberus" he stated. "That or Wrex didn't give me all the details" he added.

"Do you think he would lie to you?" Liara frowned.

"Without doubt" Shepard muttered.

"You really take me to the best places, don't you Shepard?" Garrus swore as he tried to brush the grime and filth covering him.

"Cut the chatter" Shepard hissed, standing up. "We've got a facility to take over".

The corridor outside was poorly lit. That and it was creepy. Made of bare granite, the Krogans clearly hadn't cared how ugly the place looked. It appeared to be a basement of sorts, with a nearby room being a storage room. Shepard silently moved over to it, followed closely by his team.

The large room meant for storage had all sorts of things piled up in long shelves. Crates, boxes, cables and useless stuff. There were also another body. This Krogan had been shot in the back and was clad with civilian clothing. Maybe an engineer, or a janitor. Other than that, there was nothing else of interest.

The basement had a flight of stairs to the level above, which Shepard slowly climbed, crouching, trying to be as silent as possible. The old rusty metal door roared open, and for a moment Shepard winced, believing that the facility would now be aware of them. Thankfully, no one appeared to be nearby.

The way ahead was split in two corridors, one ahead and the other to their left. This floor looked little better than the basement, without tiles on the ground or paint on the walls. Truly, didn't the Krogans care about decoration? Shepard perished the thought, checking his omni-tool to get the direction they were supposed to go.

Taking the corridor to their left, the team moved quietly and turned their flashlights off. The silence was eerie and made Shepard's heart particularly loud in his ears. They came across a door soon enough and they opened it. Inside, there appeared to be a makeshift office with a large crate serving as some kind of desk where a computer terminal was connecting to large terminal nodes. There was no one inside, dead or alive.

As they left that room, the team was quickly startled by chatter. Shepard ordered the team inside the room, who complied immediately, but he remained outside. Moving over to a corner, he activated his cloaking field – steadying his breath. There were only footsteps… faint and weird. Shepard frowned, trying not to get nervous. These were no Krogan… or humans. They didn't sound heavy enough.

Imagine Shepard's surprise when all of a sudden the enemy turned at the corner ahead only to reveal a duo of black-clad Salarians. Their silhouette gave away their species, with large round helmets, slim bodies and fragile frame. Shepard had a hard time containing a gasp of shock at the sight of the two. What the hell were two Salarians doing here? It didn't make sense! STGs? What the hell was he supposed to do?

The two unsuspecting Salarians appeared to be patrolling the corridor. Much to Shepard's relief, they ignored the door where Shepard's team so happened to be hiding. The Commander had to think of something, and fast. Someone had made it so that the facility did not shoot at the Reapers. The Krogans down below had been killed by weird weapons, probably Salarian secret weapons to swiftly dispose of the oversized lizards no doubt. The question was… where these Salarians Indoctrinated? Or did they accidentally assist the Reaper invasion by taking over what the Salarians must have perceived a clear threat of a Krogan missile base?

Commander Shepard didn't have an option. With hardened resolution he approached the two Salarians, not making one sound, and just as one of them turned around – having noticed something from the corner of his eyes – Shepard attacked. The first Salarian could only release a soft 'ugh' as an omni-blade went through his neck. The second Salarian, who swiftly managed to snap his head towards Shepard, barely managed to raise his weapon, before the human punched him in the gut and broke his neck with ease.

"Salarians?" Liara gasped as they dragged their bodies into the room they had just come out from. "Shepard, what the hell did you do?"

Garrus and Nyreen stared at the dead Salarian, dumbfounded.

"Now is not the time, Liara" Shepard muttered. Things were getting complicated, fast. "I can't take any chances".

"Shepard, these are STG members" Garrus pointed out, still trying to shake his shock off. "Why did you kill them?"

Shepard gritted his teeth.

"They were our allies" Nyreen remarked, thunderstruck.

"All of you, now is not the time" Shepard repeated wearily. He needed to come up with a good excuse.

"Shepard, you've just killed-" Garrus was saying before the Commander interrupted him.

"We are in the middle of Reaper Territory, Reapers who have kept their distance from this place, and we find a Salarian team where it shouldn't be. What does it tell you about these Salarians?" Shepard hissed.

"You think they have been Indoctrinated?" Garrus frowned. "Shepard, we don't know that for sure…"

"What we do know is that the Reapers were interested in this place. They launched this invasion almost at the same time this facility was taken over" Shepard pointed out. "What does this tell you?"

"It could be a coincidence" Liara suggested.

The Commander felt he was between a rock and a hard place. He should have told them everything, in hindsight, but back then he couldn't risk it. Word got out about the missiles, and Liara, Garrus or Nyreen might have done something stupid – not that Shepard truly believed that but… he should have told them.

"No, it is not" Shepard sighed.

"What aren't you telling us?" Liara wondered, probably squinting behind her shaded visor.

"This facility… both Wrex and I knew the purpose of it all along" the other's stared with shock at their leader. "It holds prototype missiles – the sort that could take down entire Reapers".

"Th-that's impossible" Garrus whispered.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Liara, outraged, demanded to know.

"I'll tell you after we retake this facility" Shepard growled warningly. "We are wasting time, as it is".

"You should have told us" Liara insisted.

"Maybe, but that is in the past" Shepard muttered. "Let's move on".

The team hesitantly did so. Shepard could only curse his stupidity for having withheld such information from his team, but… well, he didn't have an excuse. Discovering the existence of the Thannar Missiles and their true potential had been a shocker on its own. With the uncertainties of the suicide mission, he knew he just couldn't risk anything happen. Was it paranoid of him? With the Reapers, maybe he wasn't paranoid enough.

"Intruders!" A high-pitched voice exclaimed, as the team were surprised by three fully-armed Salarians.

Shepard didn't stall. He rolled to a side and answered fire, taking one of the enemies. "Open fire!" he ordered as he activated his cloaking device, charging straight to the Salarians at the other end of the corridor.

"Enemies, I repeat we have – URGH!" One of the Salarians cried out just as Shepard appeared in front of him and stabbed his gut. The other two Salarians, surprised by the invisible human, were gunned down by Shepard's team.

"Damn it!" Shepard growled. "This shouldn't have happened, damn it! They know we are here". He turned to his team. "Come on!"

And so the onslaught began. They run forward, where they encountered a full force of Salarians. There were like five of them, holding their ground and taking cover behind door frames. Shepard didn't have time for them, making use of his unbelievable marksmanship to blow their heads quickly. Garrus, with his sniper rifle, assisted disposing of those bastards. Sadly, just as they dealt with the five enemies, more showed up.

"Liara, singularity!" Shepard commanded.

The asari, hesitating for a moment, did as told. Taking the Salarians by surprise, a small energy ball formed over the enemies. They were lifted from the ground, drawn by the singularity, only to be killed by Shepard's team.

"We need to hurry!" Shepard yelled, rushing forward.

Shepard didn't keep count of the enemies he killed, but he was rather surprised after the twentieth Salarian they encountered as the moved across the bare granite corridors. Perhaps their kill count was over thirty five as they reached the next level. Just how many of them had infiltrated the base? The fact these were STGs… that was just disturbing. These could be innocent soldiers doing their job who had foolish and stupidly helped the Reapers invade of Tuchanka. It also made Shepard worry about something else. This STGs… what if they managed to warn the Council or the Salarian Union of the Krogan missile silos?

Gritting his teeth, and with his fury driving him onwards, Shepard kept killing with his assault rifle. Nyreen made use of her biotics more than once as they were ambushed on the hallways. Her barrier ability, creating domes that shielded them, proved invaluable, while Liara's singularity gave them a tactical edge, literally pulling Salarians out of cover. Garrus amazing sniper skills were also rather convenient for those Salarians who hoped to get the jump on from ignored corners. Traynor… Traynor simply ducked to the nearest cover and kept her head down, terrified.

Before he even knew it, they had come across some type of dining hall where Salarians had made a barricade with the tables… and dead Krogan. It was a stupid move on their part. With the combined biotic-power of Nyreen and Liara, they squashed the amphibians with their own barricade. To think there were people out there that didn't consider biotics as dangerous.

How many floors did they climb? How much time did it take them to reach their destination? Shepard had no idea. By then, Liara and the two turians didn't give a damn if they were STGs or not. The way the bloody Salarians were taking shots at them was infuriating, as well as their numbers. Shepard quickly repressed the thought of explaining this to either the Council or the Union… focused on getting to the Command Centre.

It might have been seven or six Salarians who remained at the last location. They had tried barricading within what Shepard knew was the main control room, but like with the attempts of their fellow squad mates, these salarians discovered that desks were a foolish place to take cover behind when dealing with biotics. By then, of course, Liara and Nyreen were nearing their limits.

One Salarian remained standing. He had been apart from his comrades, more focused on the console in front of him. The place looked weirdly enough like those Command Centres of the old vids. Beeping node terminals on each side, long desks filled with computers in rows… and massive screens in front. Cables filled the floor like roots of a forest, and Krogan bodies covered certain spots here and there, either cold on the floor or still seated. They had all been taken by surprise, apparently.

"I repeat, Cerberus is here and killing us all!" The STG Commander, most probably, cried out. He noticed Shepard looming over him – a bit too late. One solid punch and the Salarian, who had removed his helmet, fell on his butt.

The Salarian, recovering quickly from the punch, glared at Shepard, before a look of confusion took over him. "W-Who are you?" He frowned, baffled. "Mercenaries?" His gaze fell on the two turians. "Not Cerberus, but then…" Shepard noticed the Salarian's attention focusing on his chest – most probably the N7 logo. "Shepard" he hissed. "I knew it – we all knew it… traitor".

"I'm not the traitor here, you idiot" Shepard growled, aiming his gun at the Salarian. "What the hell were your orders?"

"Taking over a dangerous missile silo from the Krogans… but you already knew about this place" the Salarian spat with disdain. "You probably even helped them".

"Shepard, the link is still open!" Traynor gasped.

Shepard's eyes widened as the Salarian sitting in front of him smirked. Now, whoever was receiving the message from the other end did not only heard the Salarian naming him, but also Shepard's voice.

"Hold on, what about the Reaper jamming?" Garrus wondered.

Shepard almost sighed in relief. That was true. Transmissions of that type would be cut out by the Reapers. Thank God. That and they had already confirmed that the Reapers had destroyed the Relay's com buoys. No message would leave this system.

"Sh-Shepard" Traynor stammered. "I- I think…" she gulped, turning slowly to Shepard. "I think they are using a Reaper as a communication relay".

"What?" The Salarian on the floor exclaimed. "Reapers? What is this madness? There aren't Reapers here. We are connecting to the communication buoys through secret STG satellites in orbit".

"There are no STG satellites in orbit" Shepard told the Salarian. Had the Reapers actually tricked the STG in believing one of them was said satellite? That was… that was a shocking. That meant the Reapers probably were well aware of him…

Shepard didn't bother any further. "Take him prisoner, now, before we-"

BOOM. The entire world shook and they all heard a giant explosion.

"The Reapers are here!" Shepard cried out. "We don't have time" he moved to the control console and linked his omni-tool to it. Access codes, control VI and software downloaded themselves onto the entire inner network of the facility. To his surprise, the targeting systems were still operational… as was the silo. However, the beeping all around and the siren above didn't foretell anything good.

"Enemy breach" a Krogan voice boomed across the facility. "Multiple hostiles detected. Prepare for combat!"

"Damn it" Shepard hissed. He glanced at the terrified Salarian who was slack-jawed on the floor.

"A Reaper must have dug a way for Husks" Garrus, starting to panic, exclaimed.

"Traynor, open a channel to everywhere on Tuchnaka!" Shepard ordered.

"Underst- No! We are being jammed" Samantha cried out.

"That's why I brought you here. Get me that link, now!" Shepard commanded.

There was a long, distance, chill-inducing screech.

"I- I can't do it!" Samantha screamed, starting to cry behind her helmet. The pressure was getting the best of her.

"You are the bloody best communications officer in the entire Alliance, soldier!" Shepard shouted. "I know you can do it". Traynor remained quiet, staring at Shepard. "Do it, now!"

With newfound determination, Traynor started furiously tapping onto the console. "Maybe alternating frequencies… add counter-interference… no, false signal…" she mumbled, working with desperation on her terminal.

"Shepard, they are coming!" Garrus hissed.

Indeed, the screeching was getting louder.

"Oh, Goddess…" Liara gasped.

"Hold them back" Shepard ordered, standing over the command computer, his omni-tool still connected.

Garrus, Nyreen and Liara took positions where Salarians had made a valiant stupid last stand against them only moment before. They even moved their makeshift barricade back into position. By the sounds of it, there were hundreds of Husks screeching towards their position. And without further ado, they arrived.

Human Husks raced to them, like possessed demons of hell. The defenders held their ground, desperately repelling the attack. Shepard, still standing with his back to the barricade, turned around and joined in with his own handgun, taking precise headshots. It wasn't enough. Liara and Nyreen had to use their biotics, already tired as it was, to push them back and give them a new chance. The pile of husks was torn to pieces by one of Garrus' grenades, giving them seconds of respite.

Instead of more Husks rushing to their position, though, they were soon being shot at. Standing like normal marines, but clad in strange dark-grey smooth plated armour, where human husks. Their helmets gave them four glowing blue eyes and they appeared thinner, somewhat skinnier, than their normal counterparts.

"What are those?" Garrus wondered.

"Shoot first, ask questions later!" Shepard roared as he discharged his gun on one of the new husk types. They had powerful kinetic barriers on them, but not strong enough for Shepard's marksmanship.

Just when it seemed that the defenders had the upper hand against this shooter-Reaper minions, the old fashioned Husks, the zombie type, showed up again in masse. Again, the team did what they could to hold them at bay, but yet again, Liara and Nyreen had to push them back with biotic shockwaves.

"I've got it!" Traynor exclaimed, joyous.

Shepard's response was instantaneous. He typed on his omni-tool and… beep. Message sent. Targeting solutions: delivered. With wide-eyes, disbelieving, Shepard couldn't believe the dozens of 'understood' he got back.

"Prepare for missile launch!" The Krogan VI above roared in triumph. "Missiles launched".

Shepard de-activated his omni-tool and turned to join his comrades. With his assault-rifle joining in, the Husks suddenly were unable to gain ground on them. Traynor's shot blindly, helping too. If the first explosion had shaken Tuchanka, the one they felt afterwards might have as well shaken the entire solar system. Dust came off the ceiling, cracks formed on the floor and the facility promised to cave in. But it didn't, thankfully.

While a bit surprised by the earthquake, the defenders were quick to recuperate and hold their ground to the never-ending masses of Reapers. Shepard give a loud battlecry, releasing the tension he had felt prior. They were going to bloody make it – he was going to make sure of that!

And just like that, it ended. Five panting people rigidly stared at the large pile of Husks that blocked most of the way. The last shooting-type human husk had fallen and none had emerged to take its position. Wearily, they all traded looks. Was that it?

"Is- is it over?" The remaining STG, who Shepard had forgotten entirely about, mumbled.

"It seems so…" Garrus replied, unconvinced.

Seconds before minutes, and nothing came out charging at them. Then the world shook yet again, but less than before. The loud thuds of massive things falling onto the world above vibrated loudly across the facility.

"Shepard?"

Shepard frowned, pressing a button on the right side of his helmet. "James, what did I said about trying to communicate with me?"

"I- no, it's just that – Jesus Christ man, the R-Reaper… it was destroyed!" The laughing voice echoed across the empty building. "Look at this, Commander!"

Immediately, Shepard started receiving video. He activated his omni-tool, raising a small holographic screen. There, being recording probably by James through his own omni-tool, they all managed to look at a clear sky. There was no dust or sand, or wind for that matter. High above, from the yellow dirty looking clouds, came what looked like asteroids. Then the camera lowered, revealing a massive leg… a Reaper leg.

"Goddess" Liara gasped, starling Shepard as she crept behind him.

"We - we did it" Garrus mumbled, shocked. "We killed a Reaper… a Sovereign Class Reaper."

Shepard released a long sigh he didn't know he was holding. He grinned, slowly removing his helmet. These Thannar missiles… they worked. They could bloody destroy the Reapers! There was hope!